End of Life Support for an Alzeimer's patient

I'm reaching out for support for my best friend. Her father is in the last phase of Alzheimer's, Lewy Body Dementia, and Parkinson's. He has been hospitalized in acute care on the Sunshine Coast for almost 5 months now.

With the current healthcare crisis, the hospital is unable to provide any services beyond even the most basic of care. The ward is not set up for someone with high-needs Dementia. Often this means he may be waiting for hours for a meal since he can not eat on his own. There is no social stimulation or engagement, so he sits in his chair in his room by himself for hours, often soiled, unless a family member is there. He was often tied to his bed in restraints and heavily medicated when the family arrived to visit. He is anxious, scared and isolated.

One of the reasons the care is so lacking is that this particular hospital, (that he can not be transferred from), is extremely understaffed and under-resourced. There is no social worker, OT/PT services available, and no understanding of dementia care.

To ensure that her father receives a better standard of basic care, the family is having to pay for private care aids. On top of this, as soon as a patient is deemed as requiring "long-term care", they are put on a waitlist. On the Sunshine coast, you start to pay for this long-term care as soon as you are placed on the waitlist, even when not receiving it. There is no indication of how long the wait will be.

These unexpected but necessary costs (thousands of dollars a month!) have caused financial hardship for my friend who is desperately trying to make her father's last year of life more comfortable.

We are coming together to help realize this goal for the dignity of care that we all deserve.

Thank you in advance for your support.