HUGE Today

19/02/2026

🌿 We’re Growing — And We’re Expanding! 🌿
We’re excited to announce the next chapter of our journey.
While aged care remains close to our hearts — and we will continue sharing information and providing supportive services in this space — we are proud to share that we are expanding into NDIS Supported Independent Living.

The face of H.U.G.E. Today may be evolving, but our commitment remains the same: delivering compassionate, high-quality, person-centred support to every client we serve.

I’m excited to officially introduce H.U.G.E. Today Pty Ltd, now operating as a Supported Independent Living (SIL) provider across the Northern Rivers region of NSW.

At H.U.G.E. Today — Helping Unleash Good Emotions — we create homes where participants are truly heard, respected, and supported to live meaningful, independent lives.

We currently have SIL a vacancy available in Ballina NSW, ideal for participants supported through the National Disability Insurance Scheme who have lived experience of mental health challenges.
Our experienced team delivers trauma-informed, recovery-oriented support focused on building confidence, independence, and genuine community connection within calm and structured environments.

✨ What makes us different?
We are small by design — allowing us to provide personalised, flexible, relationship-driven support.
Our Director is directly involved in daily operations, ensuring responsive decision-making and tailored service delivery.
Our staff don’t just supervise — they actively participate in everyday life alongside participants.

Participants enjoy meaningful activities such as:
🍳 Cooking sessions and shared meals
🛒 Shopping trips that build life skills
🎬 Movie and game nights
🌻 Weekend markets, community events, beach walks and more — guided by participant choice and imagination
Why families and Support Coordinators choose H.U.G.E. Today:
✅ Participant-first focus
✅ Locally connected across the Northern Rivers
✅ Consistent, trusted staff
✅ Transparent communication
✅ Active, hands-on support

We would love to collaborate with families, guardians and Support Coordinators to find the right home and supports for participants.
Together, let’s Help Unleash Good Emotions — Today. 😊

05/10/2025

💬 “They’re better off in Hospital.”
💬 “Just take the first bed available.”
💬 “They’re being picky.”
💬 “Hospitals give better care anyway.”

We’re seeing a lot of these kinds of comments on social media — and we need to talk about it.

Yes, it’s true that not all aged care facilities are equipped to meet every need, especially when it comes to complex cases like dementia with behaviours, or bariatric care. But let’s be clear:

Hospital is NOT the solution.

Hospitals are not designed for long-term living. They’re for acute medical care — not for providing the stimulation, emotional support, and daily human connection that every person deserves. What we are seeing instead are elderly people spending weeks, months, even years in hospital beds… fading.

Nurses do an incredible job under huge pressure — they care for the elderly by administering medications, manage hygiene, and feed those who need it. But they don’t have the time, staffing, or environment to offer quality of life. That’s not their fault — it’s the system.

This isn’t about being picky. It’s about dignity. It’s about people wanting to be close to family, in a place where they feel stable, safe, cared for, and valued.

The system is broken. And leaving our elderly in hospital because there’s nowhere suitable to go? That’s not just a policy issue — that starts to look a lot like neglect.

We need aged care facilities to step up and improve.
We need real investment in dementia and behavioural care.
We need choice, not just “take what you’re given.”
We need homes — not hospital beds.

It’s time for change. Every one of these elders deserves better.

A 70-year-old South Australian has spent almost three years in hospital limbo despite 60 attempts to move into residential aged care and she is not alone.

30/09/2025

🚨 BIG Changes Coming to Aged Care Star Ratings from October 🚨
And finally — some accountability. 🛑 BUT IS IT ENOUGH? 🛑

From 1 October 2025, the Australian Government is tightening the screws on aged care facilities with a serious overhaul of the Star Ratings system.
And honestly? It’s about time.
🛑 BUT AGAIN — IS IT ENOUGH? 🛑

Too many aged care homes have been skating by with glowing star ratings — even while failing to meet basic care and safety standards. That’s meant families have been misled. Hopefully, that ends soon.

Here’s what’s changing:
✅ Aged care homes must meet the minimum Registered Nurse (RN) and total care minute targets to qualify for three stars or more in their Staffing rating.
❌ If they don’t meet those minimums, their Staffing star rating will be capped at 2 stars, no matter what else they’re doing.

But here’s the kicker:
🛑 The change only affects their Staffing rating — NOT necessarily their overall rating.
So yes, it's a step forward — but it’s not the full accountability we need.

We 100% agree with Adjunct Professor Rodney Jilek:
If a home can’t meet its minimum RN requirement, it shouldn’t be admitting new residents — and it certainly shouldn’t be sitting on a three-star rating.
👏 We couldn’t agree more.
Too many providers are claiming they’re “doing their best” but still falling short — and still admitting new residents.
👉 If you can't meet the staffing minimums, then stop accepting new residents until you can.
Because vulnerable older Australians deserve more than stretched-thin excuses.

This change should send a clear message:
Minimum standards aren’t optional. They are the baseline for safe, respectful care — not a bonus.

It’s not about punishing providers.
✅ It’s about protecting people.
✅ It’s about transparency for families.
✅ It’s about rebuilding trust in the aged care system.
🟡 Let’s keep the pressure on.

Families deserve honest, accurate information when choosing care for their loved ones. Anything less is unacceptable.

Aged care facilities must now prove they have enough nurses and care minutes before earning three stars, as the government overhauls its controversial ratings system.

24/09/2025

💔 Elder Abuse Through Fraud: A Shocking Breach of Trust 💔

A 23-year-old Margate woman has been charged with 110 counts of fraud after allegedly stealing bank details from four elderly residents at a Rothwell aged care facility where she worked. Police say she used the stolen information for personal purchases between October 2024 and June 2025.
She also faces charges of entering a dwelling with intent and obtaining identification information.

When trusted caregivers exploit their access, and oversight is weak, vulnerable residents can easily fall victim to financial abuse.

This isn’t just theft — it’s a violation of dignity and a breach of public trust in the aged care system. Our elderly deserve better.

More needs to be done to protect our loved ones…

✅ Stronger safeguards in aged care
✅ Closer financial monitoring
✅ Immediate reporting of suspicious activity

We must protect our seniors — and hold those who exploit them fully accountable.

Police allege the woman defrauded four elderly residents at an aged care facility where she worked and used their bank details to make personal purchases.

02/09/2025

💔 Nurses Speak Out: What’s Really Happening Inside Kerrisdale Gardens Aged Care Home in Mackay?

Aged care should mean safe, dignified, and compassionate—but nurses at Kerrisdale Gardens in Beaconsfield, Mackay say the reality is far from it.

Despite a failed audit earlier this year, frontline staff claim dangerous and distressing conditions are being ignored at the facility run by Good Shepherd Lodge. Some of the shocking reports include:

🚨 Aggressive dementia patients left unsupervised – wandering into other residents’ rooms, urinating on floors, and even assaulting staff.�
🥼 No access to emergency medical equipment – not even a defibrillator or diabetic kit on-site.�
😷 Residents missing meals and left without proper care or stimulation, especially those with dementia.�
💧 Mould, broken lifts, and physical hazards throughout the building.�
😡 Bullying and discrimination reported among staff—particularly international workers.

One nurse was physically assaulted by a resident and says she received no proper support after filing a report. “It’s not safe,” she said plainly.

Even though the Queensland Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission re-accredited Kerrisdale Gardens in late 2022 (valid until Dec 2025), a 2024 performance review found troubling shortcomings. Yet, management has reportedly made no visible improvements—and refused to outline what they’ve done since the failed audit.

The Nurses’ Professional Association of Queensland has stepped in, calling the conditions “distressing” and urging both staff and residents’ families to make formal complaints.

What can you do?�If you have loved ones in aged care—or work in the sector—don’t stay silent. You can contact the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission to lodge a concern. Your voice matters, especially when vulnerable people can’t speak for themselves.

💬 Have you had an experience with aged care—good or bad? Share your story below. Let’s hold facilities accountable and demand better for our elders. They deserve nothing less.

Nurses are worried residents will pay the price at an aged care home which failed to meet standards in a government audit, sharing horror stories of violence, urination on the floor, neglect.

31/08/2025

🛑 MOUSE DROPPINGS AND BED BUGS FOUND IN AGED CARE ROOM — HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?

I’m still shocked after reading about what happened at Somerville Gardens Aged Care. After a resident sadly passed away, her daughter entered the room to find it in a disturbing state — mouse poo, bed bugs, and urine were discovered. This is a facility where families pay over $600,000 expecting high-quality care and cleanliness.

The resident, Janet Daye, had vulnerabilities including hoarding behaviour, which her daughter had repeatedly raised with staff. Yet, it seems no action was taken to address the growing sanitation risks.

📌 This raises urgent questions:
• How can pests go undetected in a facility that claims to clean rooms daily?
• Why wasn’t more done to support a resident with known risks?
• Is the aged care system failing to uphold even the most basic hygiene standards?

Rodents and bed bugs don’t appear overnight. These are signs of neglect, not just bad luck. And in aged care — where people are at their most vulnerable — this is unacceptable.
⚠️ If this can happen in a premium facility, how many more places are silently struggling or cutting corners?

🔍 I hope the investigation launched into Somerville Gardens leads to real accountability — not just statements and damage control. Our elders deserve dignity, safety, and respect.
Let’s keep speaking out. Let’s keep demanding better.

The daughter of a dying woman inside a luxury Peninsula aged care home fears her mum’s final moments were spent in a “disgusting” room, with mouse poo, bed bugs and urine among the “repulsive” things uncovered.

28/08/2025

🚨 40+ Aged Care Providers Found Non-Compliant 🚨

The Aged Care Quality Commission has issued notices to over 40 providers for serious failings — from undignified care to poor hygiene and emotional neglect. One facility even lost government funding entirely.
- Della Dale Aged Care is being shut down.
- Midland Nursing Home cited for reusing syringes & serving unfit meals.
- Lee Roshana Care exposed for breaches in 6 of 8 quality standards.

👉 H.U.G.E. has been raising the alarm about the broken star rating system for nearly 5 years. We've consistently highlighted its flaws and lack of transparency — not just in posts, but in YouTube videos over the last 4–5 years demonstrating exactly why this system is failing families.
NOW is it being looked at – WE HOPE! The system isn’t just flawed — it’s dangerous.
It’s time for real reform, not more spin.
Help us build awareness. – Consider following us today.

Barely edible food and wound pictures depicting residents’ private parts. These are just some of the latest fails uncovered by the aged care watchdog in homes around Australia. SEARCH FOR A SERVICE

27/08/2025

What do you think? Are penalties like this enough? What else should be done to lift the standard of care?

🚨 Why has Della Dale Aged Care lost government funding?

Australia’s aged care watchdog has taken the strongest action possible — revoking funding for Della Dale Aged Care from September 26, 2025.
Why? Because an investigation found the home had serious and repeated failures in care. It breached 5 out of 8 national standards, including:
• Delayed treatment of pressure sores
• Residents left bored, drowsy, and disengaged
• A lack of capacity to fix ongoing issues

One resident developed multiple serious wounds. Another was hospitalised. The Commission says there was no confidence the provider could ensure safe care.

The home still has 12 residents, and steps are underway to safely move them. Staff are also being supported by the nursing union.

But this raises a bigger question:

How many other aged care homes are falling short — and how are we protecting those most vulnerable?
More than 200 services were found non-compliant last year alone. Reforms are in place, but clearly, the system still has work to do.

*************************************
What do you think? Are penalties like this enough? What else should be done to lift the standard of care?

The aged care watchdog is set to block a Melbourne nursing home from receiving government funding, citing “serious concerns” about its ability to provide safe and quality care.

25/08/2025

The High Cost of Independence: Could the Aged Care Reform Push Older Australians Into Residential Care??

Major changes to the Aged Care Act will force pensioners to pay out-of-pocket for essential home care services like showering, dressing, wound care, cooking, cleaning, and more.

What used to be covered by government-funded packages will now require co-payments — even for full pensioners. For many, that means choosing between a hot meal or a shower.

These changes could push vulnerable older Australians into residential aged care prematurely — a sector already stretched by staff shortages and an inadequate “care minutes” system.

As advocate Amina Schipp said:
"If they have to give up a shower to afford dinner, that’s what they’ll do — but that’ll lead to infections and worse."

This reform, risks becoming a tragedy for thousands of older Australians unless more support is provided.

It’s time to ask:
Are we really valuing our elders — or just cutting corners at their expense?

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/aug/26/dinner-or-a-shower-elderly-people-fear-tough-choices-when-australias-new-aged-care-changes-are-rolled-out

Advocates warn increased costs for basic assistance like showers and wound cleaning will push older people into aged care or hospital

25/08/2025

🚨 This Is a Wake-Up Call for Australia 🚨

BlueCare slashing enrolled nurses is more than cost-cutting — it's a dangerous shift in aged care. Replacing qualified staff with less-trained workers to meet “care minute” quotas puts our elderly at risk.

Aged care should be about safety, compassion, and clinical expertise — not ticking boxes or saving money.

We must demand change. If you have a loved one in aged care, now is the time to visit, ask questions, and speak up.

Their well being may depend on it.

Queensland’s largest aged care provider BlueCare is slashing its nursing workforce to cut costs in a

24/08/2025

Let’s stop pretending care minutes in AGED CARE are enough.
They don’t show how well someone is cared for — just how the system averages people out. We need real transparency and real staffing, not just pretty numbers.