A mental health and disability support agency is desperately trying to fill 150 staff vacancies across regional Queensland, with 1,000 hours of support work going unallocated every week.
The shortage at Selectability, which services an area from Cairns to Rockhampton, has meant clients have missed out on doctors' appointments and receiving vital medications.
David Urqhart is one of them.
"It's very difficult circumstances at the moment," he said.
"I have had to go without a shift before."
Mr Urqhart relied on the service to get to appointments.
"Neurology, optometrists, doctors, pathology, CT scans anything, it's crucial," he said.
He sustained a spinal and acquired brain injury after he was attacked a number of years ago and has struggled with his mental health since the death of his son.
Mr Urqhart has a support worker come to see him every day for a total of 26 hours a week.
He said missing the appointments could have serious consequences.
"Then I fall back into PTSD, depression, agitation, anxiety because of all my other medical conditions," he said.
"It becomes a Molotov cocktail and then I spiral again."
His situation is not unique.
Spinal Life Australia was also searching for 150 staff, with up to 2,000 three-hour shifts per month going unstaffed.
"We need to make sure that we turn up to people's places, get them out of bed, help them with a shower, and provide them with meals," chief executive Mark Townend said.
"That's not happening in some locations because we can't get staff."
Mr Townend said for the first time in his career he was begging for staff to come forward.
"Our workers who do it now are working twice as many hours as they should in some cases," he said.
Desperate measures to secure staff
Selectability has offered incentives for anyone in the organisation who can find workers to fill the gaps for more than a year.
But in recent months they have upped the spotters' fee to $500 for each successful recruitment.
The organisation called on the government to take drastic measures to address the issue during this week's jobs and skills summit.
"We would like the government to think outside the square to say what can we do to encourage people who are retired to return to the workforce without impacting on their pension or conditions," chief executive Debra Burden said.
It was a sentiment echoed by Spinal Life Australia, which hoped to have people working in the sector before Christmas.
"Sixty-five is the new 55. They're physically fit, they are reliable, many have got the skills already, so the training just needs topping up," Mr Townend said.
"They'll pay their tax as normal, but they won't get their pension cut in half or they won't lose their concessions."
Ms Burden said allowing people with a previous criminal history to be employed in the sector on a provisional basis could also help alleviate the shortage.
"You can't work in our sector unless you have a blue card, or an NDIS worker screening card, and you can't get those cards if you might have had an indiscretion in your life," she said.
"We've got examples of people on Palm Island who are very keen to come and work with us and feel they've got a lot to give and a lot to support people in their community but because of the indiscretion they might have had decades previously they're not eligible."
Mr Urqhart had a strong warning for the government.
"It could get to the point where people's lives are at risk," he said.
"It's crucially important that these issues get addressed.
"Without support, they just won't be able to reach or achieve any of their goals."
