After more than 8,700 episodes of Home and Away, you’d think the Channel 7 show had touched on every possible storyline.
But Ray Meagher, who plays Alf Stewart, praised the writers for a recent episode that exposed an issue affecting many older Aussies.
Alf was pulled over for driving with an expired registration, and it was quickly discovered that he was also driving on an expired licence.
At 81, Ray told TV Week it was a very understandable situation.
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“I really enjoyed doing this storyline because I can relate to people picking up the registration papers and then putting it aside and forgetting about it,” the actor said.
“And for a lot of the [older people], you don’t get the hard copy anymore, so it’s easy to [forget].
“Then I can relate to the scene of him having to get a medical clearance to get his license. All of it makes sense to me.”
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Alf was pulled over by police in Summer Bay after it was revealed his car was unregistered.
(Channel 7)
That storyline took two weeks to film, and Ray was included in 70 scenes, which he admitted was a “hell of a lot”.
He called some of those scenes “quite harrowing,” but he also “really enjoyed” fleshing out the intricacies of what Alf was going through.
In addition to getting his licence and registration fixed, it was also revealed that Alf had been sent a letter requesting medical clearance to return to the roads.
What do older Aussies need to do to stay on the road?
In NSW, where Summer Bay is located, people over 70 may need to undergo a medical assessment and a driving or riding assessment to keep their licences.
People aged 75 or older must undergo these medical assessments annually. Once over the age of 85, residents must complete a driver assessment every two years.
“Many people assume that failing a medical check means losing their licence altogether,” Maurice Blackburn lawyers Alison and Jillian Barrett told Yahoo Australia.
“But often a conditional licence solves the issue and may be appropriate for you.”
Hundreds of older Aussies have their licences suspended or canceled due to medical issues, according to the ABC, and it can affect their independence and way of life.
“All of it makes sense to me,” Ray said. “I understood where all the writers were going with it. It’s generally not the end of the world, but in the case of Alf, it is.”
Alf had to explain his situation to police about why he hadn’t renewed his license.
(Channel 7)Alf Stewart reveals why he didn’t get his license renewed
In the episode, the letter Alf received was more than a month old when he was pulled over by the police.
While authorities were willing to let him off with a warning because he was heading to the doctor, Alf insisted he be treated like everyone else and cop the fine.
The 81-year-old eventually revealed that he had been putting off seeing the doctor because he was scared he would get bad news about his health.
This is an issue affecting 20 per cent of Aussies nationwide, according to Compare the Market.
“It can be scary to seek professional help – especially if you believe you’re dealing with a serious issue – but delaying a visit to your health care professional could be causing more harm than good,” Compare the Market’s Executive General Manager of Health, Steven Spicer, said.
“Health professionals help hundreds of thousands of Australians every day, so there’s every chance that an issue you find embarrassing is something your doctor or specialist already has extensive experience in treating.
“Similarly, your health is paramount. If you are experiencing illness or injury, getting to the bottom of it is more important than worrying about whether you’re wasting a doctor’s time.”
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