After a fall left him stuck on the floor of his home for more than six hours, Craig Gatford realised he urgently needed someone to watch over him.
Key points:
- Craig Gatford spent six hours on the ground after falling at his home
- He says people with disabilities should be given clearer information about in-home care services
- An advocacy group says navigating the current system is "convoluted"
The incident left the 56-year-old, who has cirrhosis and chronic kidney disease, in hospital for two weeks.
It sparked a slow-moving search to find a service to provide in-home care at his house at Gundagai in southern New South Wales.
"My family felt it was too much of a risk for me to be here by myself seven days a week," Mr Gatford said.
The hospital referred him to a local provider, but he was told it could take several months to lock in a service. He decided to take the search into his own hands.
But trying to understand what services were available in his area and the eligibility criteria was confusing and stressful.
"For the average person it's very difficult to know where to go to get information," he said.
"You're just left at the mercy of the system to work your way through it."
Mr Gatford spent four weeks trying to find the right service before stumbling across an advertisement for an in-home nursing provider on social media.
Common issue in regional areas
Regional Disability Advocacy Service executive officer Ben Foley said finding the right service was a common problem for people with disabilities, particularly in rural areas.
He said providers work hard to promote themselves and refer patients to other organisations but many people still struggle to find the right service.
"It's a convoluted process that not everybody would understand," Mr Foley said.
"If you don't know where to start, quite often it does come down to a simple Google search … but you don't necessarily always find the most ideal starting point."
Mr Foley said some providers with long waiting lists can also be hesitant about advertising.
He said increasing broader awareness about services and making that information accessible should be a key focus for the industry.
Life-altering care
Mr Gatford is part of a growing group of people with disabilities seeking to receive vital care in their own house, rather than moving to a nursing home.
He said his new service, which provides him with assistance twice a week, was "life-changing" and has alleviated stress for his family.
"Having a carer here a couple of days each week is a huge bonus and it's put my family's worries at bay," he said.
"If you have the wherewithal and you want to stay in your own home that should be the number one priority — keeping people in their own environment".
He said efforts should be made to give people with disabilities clearer information about their in-home care options.