It’s Show Time!

Careless

Australia, 2025, 85 minutes, Colour.

Directed by Sue Thomson.

A documentary about ageing, senior living and care for the elderly.

To make its strong points, director Sue Thomson, has made the film very personal. And it is entertaining while it is challenging. In fact, it starts humorously with a collage of literal falls by some of Australia’s prime ministers, John Howard stumbling, Anthony Albanese slipping off a platform, Scott Morrison and the famous tackle of the young boy at football! The point is made that all of us are very fall-able.

The focus of the film is on four older women, starting with Sue Thomson’s own mother. Each of the women is living at home, alone, except for a very bright Italian, Luciana, who is living with her husband of 59 years, managing well at home.

In the discussions, Sue Thomson with her mother, and various social workers who assist the other women, the issue is about living at home, possibilities of living in care, and reluctance to move out of home and go into care.

In many ways, the film is very frank, no glamourising of the women, audiences very much aware of their age, health, disabilities, dangers of falls in living alone, aspects of loneliness, a lot of TV watching, the need for carers for many situations. And, the various audiences will identify with the women and their situations – the elderly immediately identifying, the next generation and their responsibilities for care of parents, and the film has the device of involving schoolchildren to deliver its message, some role-plays, some declarations, dramatising quotes and ideas about care.

The film is very much of Australia, particularly of Melbourne and Victoria, in the first half of the 2020s – and, Sue Thomson is not afraid of voicing criticism, many of the care workers and those responsible lining up previous governments and the present government as regards legislation, Royal Commissions, decisions, consequences. And, the film is very strong in its critique of the privatisation of senior living in aged care, the private companies, the business model, the profit model, the consequent focus on saving money, gaining money, and disregard for the elderly, the reality of negligence in providing needed accommodation and the requirements for elderly health, and bringing home to the audience how much of the treatment of the elderly is Care-less.

Moving into aged care may well be necessary for many of the elderly, 21st-century thinking, Royal commission conclusions, government planning are all aimed at helping the elderly at home for as long as they can stay, dignity, independent living, health, physical and mental, the goal of well-being for all.

By Fr Peter Malone MSC