Forget Them Not (FBi Radio)

Danni Stewart of FBi Radio reflects on the state of Aged
Care in Australia with her late grandmother.


Supervising production from Sharon Davis. Training from the
Community Media Training Organisation. Distributed by the
Community Radio Network.


Produced for the 2020 CBAA National Features and Documentary
Series.


This started out as a story about how dementia care can be
improved. But, throughout production I found there was another
question which became more prevalent - why is the aged care
system so bad?


As I reflected on my grandma’s experience in residential aged
care the Royal Commission hearings revealed deep seeded issues
within the sector. 


What I found is that the current substandard conditions in Aged
Care can be traced back to neoliberal thinking and the Aged Care
Act 1997. 


Then COVID-19 began to spread through the corridors of Aged Care
homes and the problems created by the Act were laid bare.


For the last months of my grandma’s life visiting was heavily
restricted. 


I was able to say goodbye. Many families weren’t so
lucky. 


Caring for our aging population, particularly those with dementia
is one of the greatest challenges our society faces.


It’s estimated there will be one million Australians living with
dementia by 2050 and it’s clear that in order to care for them
the Aged Care Act needs to be reformed and the current system
needs to be rebuilt. 


Special Thanks


Sharon Davis - My Supervising Producer 

Giordana Caputo - CMTO 

Heli Newton - CMTO 

Andrew McLellan - CBAA

My Mum - For letting me interview her about something so
personal and emotional. 

Claire Cao - For being kind enough to share her
experience with me. 

Lindsay Riley - For emotional support. 



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