Elderly speak up
TWO of the more concerning issues facing the aging population in South Gippsland Shire are insufficient public transport and lengthy ambulance wait times, according to the Active Retirees Advisory Committee (ARAC).
The ARAC met with South Gippsland Shire Council last Wednesday to discuss these matters.
Joan Turner, chair of the ARAC, said, “We need more connecting buses to Wonthaggi, Latrobe Valley, as well as some time changes to the Melbourne services.
“We desperately need a local bus to run between Leongatha and Korumburra, our two biggest and most active towns.
“We are the only shire in the state with no bus service at all of our own.”
Mrs Turner also said response times for ambulance and paramedics in the shire need to be addressed immediately as code one cases can take much longer than the 15 minutes they are expected to arrive in.
“In the past six months we have been making enquiries for the ambulance system and waiting times in the South Gippsland area,” Mrs Turner said.
“There needs to be some room for discussion on how we here in South Gippsland get to the nearest hospital when we are in serious trouble, especially if these wait times continue.”
Mrs Turner questioned if it was better to get someone to drive you to hospital in five to 10 minutes rather than waiting up to an hour for an ambulance to arrive, however told council she had personally been “blasted by a nurse” for doing just this.
“We are literally dealing with life and death,” Mrs Turner pointed out.
With over 30 percent of the population over 65 years of age in the area and numbers growingly steadily, public transport and ambulance wait times are a growing concern.
Councillors were receptive to the feedback and said they would look into matters further. Cr Alyson Skinner pointed out that while the elderly are indeed impacted by the shortage of transport, youth were another demographic significantly affected, making this an issue that was relevant to everyone.
Cr Rosemary Cousin suggested going straight to the top.
“When issues cross multiple areas, go to the top, write to the Premier,” Cr Cousin said.
Cr Skinner advised the ARAC representatives of a government program aimed to help seniors to get online and connected, called Be Connected.
“During the Seniors Week Festival, one thing we are trying to do it to have a space in each town where seniors can sit down with high school students and learn technology by example,” Cr Skinner said.
Free courses are available at www.beconnected.esafety.gov.au
The Active Retiree Advisory Committee is currently seeking new members from all across the shire.
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