Aged care in Launceston

Throughout its history the majority of the elderly people of Launceston have lived at home in their own community, either on their own or with family. But there have always been a number of people with no family and little money, who have needed extra help to cope with a frail old age. For nearly a century, the Tasmanian government provided assistance in three public institutions, and since the 1950s there have also been a number of private homes which provide accommodation for a growing number of elderly people in need of extra assistance and nursing care.

Although all these Homes have provided shelter and sustenance, the care has not always been as compassionate as we might hope. In the early days of the colony it was, in some cases literally, a crime to be old, ill, and alone, and the treatment provided to ‘invalids’ and ‘incurables’ was at best basic and at worst, inhumane. Drawing mainly on government records and newspaper articles of the time, this chapter will tell the story of aged care in Launceston, and highlight the improvements we have seen over the last 150 years.