GRIPES

[Bruce Tuncks]

Not when the child is still a student marty. I was surprised too. The father didn't mind paying, but I don't think he actually had a choice.

[Jerry_Atrick]

https://jbsolicitors.com.au/child-maintenance-payments/

 

If a child is over 18 and wants to continue studies, or understandably remains dependent due to physical or mental health conditions, then the non-custodial parent is still obligated to make maintenance payments. The latter two are fair enough, but for higher education, there are various tests  - it is not automatic and comes down to the income earnign capacity of the "adult child".

 

This seems fairly proportionate to me.. If the couple remained married with such a child, the burden would be shouldered.. If a child's income earning capacity is impaired, it should not allow the non-custodial parent to avoid their obligation just because the child has reached 18.

[octave]

18 hours ago, facthunter said:

 

b

49 minutes ago, Bruce Tuncks said:

Not when the child is still a student marty. I was surprised too. The father didn't mind paying, but I don't think he actually had a choice.

It is quite a responsibility when you create little a little human. You have to care for them physically emotionally and financially. These obligations apply even if the marriage or partnership ends.

 

[red750]

Kid asked the shopkeeper, "Why is Barbie $19.99 but Divorced Barbie $299.99?"

 

Shopkeeper replied, "Well, Divorced Barbie has Ken's house, Ken's car, Ken's boat and Ken's money."

[red750]

My gripe today is with Chemist Warehouse. Sure, they are cheaper, but I hate how they use their narrow aisles as storage space. Very difficult to get to the prescription counter at the back of the store. And usually there are staff blocking them up as well while they restock shelves. Minor thing I know, but damned annoying.

[Old Koreelah]

 This isn’t my gripe for the day; it’s for the season, year and probably the bluddy millenium!
 

For over a week my wife has been crook and unable to get a doctor’s appointment at the two local practices or even an online doctor.

Travelling to bigger towns is not an option, as all doctors seem to have closed their books.

 

Despite being a very long term client of our local doctor surgery, she cannot get an appointment- for months! My last visit to the doc required an 8 week wait. Good thing I’m pretty healthy (at least from the ears down).

 

She keeps very active and does all the healthy things, but now has a virus that won’t shift. Not covid. Her being out of action sets off a whole domino effect; other people have to take over her community and family roles, causing knock-on effects for them.

 

Meanwhile, family members in the city still tell her to just go to the doctor! They have no such problems; lots of doctors live there, close to the beach, restaurants and airports.

 

For decades, people like me have campaigned to have Medicare Provider Numbers allocated by population and postcode, to encourage medicos to set up where people are, rather than where the best lifestyle is. I suspect the AMA has too much power over governments.

 

 

[onetrack]

It's definitely the case that people living in rural areas have poorer access to health facilities and doctors - and correspondingly worse health. More than one older friend or associate has come to the rapid understanding of this problem, and many have moved in closer to the city or bigger regional towns where health facilities are much better.

 

Unfortunately, the greatest problem revolves around the fact that many older people have chosen to live in rural areas simply because they've been priced out of the cities and bigger regional towns, when it comes to property.

[Bruce Tuncks]

But old K is correct in that allocating provider numbers to regions would fix the problem easily.

Another part of the problem is the lack of gp's . This was done deliberately until the feds figured out that medicare provider numbers were what you had to limit. But by this time, a lot of the damage was done and there is a shortage to this day.

With AI, you could easily do an online consultation, but this will take many years to achieve.

Keep on complaining old K.

[spacesailor]

My daughter & son in law live in northan nsw But still retain their Sydney doctors .

No point in losing an Asset !  . LoL

spacesailor

 

[old man emu]

Like Old K, I'm in good health so don't need to set up camp outside a doctor's office, even if I could get onto one's books. I find it easier to keep on the books of a medical centre in Sydney. If I need to get the services of a doctor for a regular thing (driver's medical) I can plan ahead, book an appointment for when I want to be in Sydney, and get in. If there is any need for follow-up, I can arrange a telephone consult. 

 

The problem I have at the moment is that I think I'm beginning to develop problems with my finger joints. I don't want to lose the use of my fingers due to deformation.  But it's hard to find a suitable specialist outside of Sydney. I'm sure that when I do locate one, my GP in Sydney will give me a referral. 

[facthunter]

Your GP  should be aware of the best ones in Sydney. Do you have Medical insurance?   Nev

[old man emu]

But I want to be treated reasonably locally - like in Dubbo. And I'm bludging on the Public Purse for my health care after paying for private insurance all my working life.

[facthunter]

"Specialist's" broadly speaking don't like the Bush. The Bentley gets too much mud on it. and the Macquarie street address is more in keeping with the Professions. standing in the Community.  Nev

[red750]

I have two gripes today. One many people will agree with, the other a more pesonal irritation.

 

Centrelink.

 

Why is it so difficult to get any action from Centrelink. Don't bother trying to ring them. You will be on hold from 3/4 to 1.5 hours, until the call eventually drops out. My daughter has to report her earnings each week, and I can't tell you how many hours she has spent hanging on the end of a call. This has been complicated by Centrelink changing their reporting day to Wednesday, when she gets paid on Thursday. Also, a mate from the Men's Shed applied for renewal of Low Income cards for he and his wife. He mailed the paperwork for both together. No response for 6 weeks. He contacted them and was told they had not received the paperwork. He took copies to the Centrelink office personally and handed it over the counter. Another few weeks and his card turned up, but not his wifes. When he contacted them they said they didn't have the paperwork. He told them he had delivered it to their office. They looked around and found it. Took another three weeks for the card to turn up.

 

Lounge chairs and settees.

 

I find these are all about 15 cm too low. My chair at home has two extra cushions in it, and it is still difficult to get out of. I was walking in a shopping centre today, and got a bit puffed. There were very inviting armchair placed out for shoppers to use. I sat down for a few minutes to regain my breath, and almost couldn't get up.

[facthunter]

Might be worthwhile to have a check up if you're getting puffed  out. Don't put it off. Nev

[red750]

Working with doctor and dietician, and exercisig. It's the exercising puffing me out, which is why I take regular breathers.

[onetrack]

Yep, the seating gets harder and harder to get out of as you age, and it all seems it gets lower each year. The furniture manufacturers have to take into account there are a lot of smaller people (Asians and the majority of women).

SWMBO has two full replacement knees and while they're good (compared to the only other option of a wheelchair), she finds getting up from the average chair or sofa is hard. Even more so, toilet seats.

So we bought furniture raisers (or "risers") for the lounge chairs (75mm from memory) - and we installed a new toilet pan that has a seat height of 470mm (about 60mm higher than the average).

 

These two changes have made a huge difference to her life, and greatly eases the effort of getting up off all the seats. But she is also 173cm, which is the reason why the standard toilet seats are too low for her.

Her daughter is only 163cm, so she initially complained when she visited that all our new level of seating was too high - but she's got used to it now. I'm only a short-ar** too, at 164cm, but it didn't take me too long to get used to the higher seating level, and it certainly eases the getting up process.

[old man emu]

So many puns involving "stools".

[spacesailor]

DO what I did. Before my replacement hip .

We bought a Very expensive "electric  lift- recliner " .

It is the best way to get up , as it stands you onto your feet .

No more struggling to get out of the chair . 

spacesailor

[red750]

I know, spacey, but they don't place those around shopping centres for us oldies. Lucky to have anything to sit on.

[old man emu]

I think that the lack of seating in shopping centres is a result of COVID. The seating seemed to disappear with social distancing and the reduction of places where people might come in contact with other people's clothing.

 

I don't have the same need for seating as some of you, but my gripe is the lack of public toilets in commercial areas. Apart from the toilets in shopping centres, and ignoring those in pubs and fast food places, the only toilets available to the public are in parks, and there are very few parks in the main street of towns.

[rgmwa]

5 hours ago, old man emu said:

Apart from the toilets in shopping centres, and ignoring those in pubs and fast food places, the only toilets available to the public are in parks, and there are very few parks in the main street of towns.

We're pretty lucky with public toilets in Australia. It's a lot worse in Europe where you are more likely to find that the park or roadside stop IS the public toilet. 

Edited July 2, 2023 by rgmwa

[onetrack]

There's a public toilet location website to help you out, when you're busting. And you can add public toilets that you know of, that are not on the Map.

Isolated trees and bushes probably won't be accepted.

 

https://toiletmap.gov.au/

 

 

 

Edited July 2, 2023 by onetrack

[old man emu]

3 hours ago, onetrack said:

There's a public toilet location website to help you out,

That's all well and good, but one shouldn't need an app to have a pee. Even with the information from the app, public toilets are few and far between. I'm just thankful that I don't had a prostate problem, but I do need a pee after driving for nearly an hour into town. I know where the toilets are in the shopping centres and Bunning's, but it sometimes I want to go to shops not on those places.

[facthunter]

In Europe they had a big FAT lady in Black attire  outside who had to be paid and all of a sudden I didn't need to go. Nev