Small Town Tries to Raise Money for Aged Care Home

ABC Southern Qld

Topic: Aged Care

Monday, 3 August 2026, at 7:18 am

Joan White wants to help families stay together in their old age.

In short:

The town of Texas has no aged care home, so families must live far apart.

Some people want to build a private aged care home.

What's next?

The group found a possible site and is raising money to buy it.

Joan White and her husband Alan did everything together.

They were married for 58 years, had three sons, and worked on their farm.

Joan thinks her husband's health problems started when they had to kill their cattle due to drought.

Alan got dementia, and they sold their farm to move to town for better care.

Joan and Alan were married for 58 years and did everything together.

It became very hard for Joan to care for Alan.

After Joan had a heart attack, Alan was sent to a care home 120 km away.

The town of Texas has no public transport, but many people use mobility scooters.

A sign in town says 'Texas is a dementia-friendly community' and has a picture of Joan and Alan.

Joan and Alan are on a sign in the main street of Texas.

Texas has a high median age, but no aged care home.

Joan wants to build a care home to keep old people in their hometown.

The Texas Care Foundation is a group of community members who want to improve care for old people.

Joan and Alan are not the only ones with aged care problems.

Brian and Annette Mearns have been married almost 60 years and fear being separated.

Aged care is a big concern for the town's 800 residents.

Brian and Annette are getting older and have health problems.

Brian jokes that he will follow Annette anywhere, even to a care home.

But the thought of being separated is very upsetting for them.

They like being together and talking to each other.

They have a big garden, but they know they will have to leave it one day.

They might move to Dalby to be closer to family, but they support the idea of a local care home.

Cristine Miller is worried about her and her husband's future.

Cristine and her husband are taking things one day at a time, but they are worried.

Cristine hopes she can care for her husband forever.

Sally-Ann Masters used humor to cope with caring for her mother.

Sally-Ann saw her mother's dementia progress and become very hard to care for.

Caring for someone with dementia is like grieving twice.

Small town, big challenges

A local doctor has lived in the area for 58 years and sees many patients from Texas.

The doctor thinks home is the best place for people with dementia.

But when they need a care home, it's best if it's in their hometown.

Residents in Texas think being separated for care is very traumatic.

Securing the site

The Texas Care Foundation has found a 3.5-hectare site for a care home.

The group wants to raise $750,000 to buy the site in the next year.

A board member thinks it's his duty to help build a care home.

The board member says Texas needs a care home now and for the future.

We will all get old one day.

Joan White was awarded a medal, and her husband was too sick to attend.

Joan wants to build a care home in memory of her husband.

Joan smiles when she remembers her husband's last days.

Joan would climb into her husband's hospital bed, and the nurses would say they were lovebirds.

If Joan touched her husband's skin, he knew she was there.

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