A Dapto man died last year after contracting hospital-acquired pneumonia while waiting three months for an aged care bed, his daughter has revealed. James Brown, who had dementia, was admitted to Wollongong Hospital in June 2024 following a fall, and his family hoped he would quickly find a placement in a residential facility. Instead, he remained in hospital until his death, with his daughter Renee Santos describing his final days as undignified.
Ms Santos said her father was let down by a broken system that fails to protect the most vulnerable. She recalled seeing him shuffling along the hospital corridor, his incontinence pad on display, and kicking medical equipment in frustration. 'That's not how I wanted dad to spend his last days,' she said. 'He deserved comfort, peace, and dignity.'
The situation is becoming increasingly common in New South Wales, where about 830 people are stuck in public hospitals waiting for aged care beds, according to NSW Health. The issue is particularly acute in the Illawarra Shoalhaven and Hunter New England regions, which have larger ageing populations. Former aged care chief executive Mark Sewell said the Illawarra is about 1,000 beds short, with 4,000 beds currently in use but needing 5,000.
Mr Sewell warned that the system is unprepared for the baby boomer generation, with many turning 80, 85, and 90 in coming years. 'Our service systems aren't prepared, our hospitals aren't prepared, our aged care services aren't prepared,' he said. He noted that while about 500 new beds have been added in the Illawarra over the past decade, a similar number have been lost due to facility closures.
The New South Wales government has blamed inadequate federal funding and delays in accessing Commonwealth aged care and NDIS services. Federal Aged Care Minister Sam Rae said the Commonwealth has provided nearly $200 million in support and is rolling out 80,000 home care packages. However, NSW Health Minister Ryan Park argued that the state needs more funding in the next National Health Reform Agreement, due by mid-2025, to address the crisis.
