Careless (2025)

Plot

When director Sue Thomson’s 89-year-old mother, Margaret, starts requiring more assistance in her daily life, they confront a common family dilemma: whether to explore the option of a residential aged-care facility, and if so, how to choose one in a sector often criticized for neglect and abuse. Margaret’s journey sparks an exploration into Australia’s political history of aged care, which has been plagued by a 40-year trend of bipartisan privatization. Through insights from advocates, journalists, and seniors who have navigated the system, a group of schoolchildren reflects on the current state of aged care and contemplates the future for themselves and others.