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A YOUNG woman with a rare neurological disorder wants nothing more than to leave the hospital bed she has occupied for 10 months - but red tape is preventing her. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare figures reveal that to keep Jaimee Busbridge in hospital costs up to four times more than it would for her to be cared for at home - up to $1100 a day in hospital compared with $274 if she were out. The Department of Human Services approved Ms Busbridge's $100,000-a-year support package five months ago, but she has been told there is no money to actually provide it. Ms Busbridge, 24, has dystonia, for which there is no cure. "I'm feeling overwhelmed and over it all," Ms Busbridge said. Her family say she should have left Epworth Hospital nine months ago. She is not the only Victorian to be in this predicament. The Herald Sun revealed last August that Chante Masset, 12, a quadriplegic after a swimming accident, remained in the Austin Hospital for 11 months, several months after her care package had been approved and she was able to go home. This again was because the funding was not available to provide her package. Young People in Nursing Homes Alliance national director Dr Bronwyn Morkham said keeping Ms Busbridge in hospital was not only "a complete waste of resources" but she was occupying a bed another patient could have. It was not the department's fault but the underfunding of disability services by federal and state governments, Dr Morkham said. Ms Busbridge had fallen through the cracks and many in her situation ended up in aged care nursing homes, which was inappropriate, she added. A department spokesman said Ms Busbridge's needs were complex and she had priority listing for an individual support package, which she would receive when funds became available. |
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