No respite for tour company

By Rebecca Fraser
A NARRE Warren company which specialises in tours for the aged and disabled might be forced to take its business elsewhere after being hit with government funding cuts.
Greenlink Tours provides respite to carers, the elderly and disabled by operating short holidays and day trips throughout Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia.
The business relies on funding from local case managers to run the trips but company director Glenda Green said the money had become more scarce of late, with local services stretched to the limit and unable to afford recreational activities.
Ms Green said local case managers used their funds to provide clients with home and personal care.
She said any left over money was then spent on recreation but due to funding cuts and increased demand, there was now far less money for these respite outings.
Ms Green said she was disappointed that she would no longer be able to take as many people with special needs on tour as she would like, and added that she hoped more money would become available in the next financial year.
She said the funding cuts had a dramatic impact on her business and she was now going to try to break into the private sector and use the coach to transport retirement village or nursing home residents instead of disabled people.
The Narre Warren resident said as another sideline, she might even have to consider hiring the bus out to the general public on weekends despite the fact that the bus has wheelchair and disability access.
“The money just does not seem to be out there to provide respite care.
“Things are pretty quiet and, unfortunately, I cannot just put my eggs in the one basket and rely on the government funding.
“This is disappointing as respite is something that is definitely needed within our community,” she said.
Ms Green said the respite activities provided a much-needed break to carers and the disabled and said her company also specialised in taking elderly dementia patients on outings.
“It is very important to have a laugh because some people’s lives completely revolve around caring for their loved ones and they would simply not get out of the house if they could not access these services.
“Now they really try to keep people at home instead of in nursing homes so when people can get out it either gives the husband or the wife or carer a break. A little holiday can be so therapeutic.
“At times some people have said that they feel that life is sometimes no longer worth living and I even know some people who mark their calendar and count down the days until the tour.
“I am just hoping that next financial year there is more money to continue our service,” she said.