There are more than 120,000 older Australians at home waiting for an assessment to be performed. This crisis illustrates a major hole in the aged care system. Already around 87,000 people have been assessed and approved for home care packages. Yet, they have not already been funded or are seeking new higher amounts of funding. This backlog has raised alarm bells among stakeholders and advocates across the aged care spectrum.
As of a few days ago, the number of people waiting for an eligibility assessment has risen to 121,596. Supported Aged Care Minister Sam Rae acknowledged the seriousness of the situation. He announced that the new Support at Home program will fundamentally transform at-home care delivery. Overall, this initiative should help fill in the gaps that are currently crippling the system.
The federal government had initially pledged to make 83,000 new home care packages available in July to address the massive waitlist. Now, the release of these packages has been delayed. Major reforms in aged care were set to implement, but they’ll instead be postponed until November. This costly decision has made the already urgent situation worse, angering thousands who depend on badly needed support services.
Ian Yates, former aged care acting inspector-general, said he was alarmed by the high level of people still waiting to be assessed. Furthermore, in response to our questioning, he stressed that the official waitlist does not capture the full picture of demand for services. “I think that it underlines the concern of many that the official waitlist, when they finally tell us what it is, will not reflect the real demands,” Yates stated.
Shadow Minister for Aged Care Anne Ruston lashed the government over their handling of the situation. She described the number of people now waiting for assistance as “unacceptable.” She emphasized how dire the effects of these delays can be. She said that more than 200,000 older Australians are probably trapped in this hell.
Advocates for older Australians have similarly welcomed Ruston’s announcement, demanding urgent action to tackle the crisis. Greens spokesperson for older people Penny Allman-Payne further emphasised that older Australians often simply cannot afford to wait. She pointed out that “eight weeks is actually a very long time for an older person,” underscoring the urgency of the situation.
“This is a cruel betrayal of vulnerable Australians who deserve dignity, choice and independence in their later years.” – Anne Ruston
Kasy Chambers is a relentless champion for aged care reform. Her testimony focused on the negative impact of waiting periods on the quality of life for older people. “I can’t say it strongly enough, the eight weeks make quite a difference in somebody’s eventual enjoyment, quality of the latter period of their life,” she stated.
For the first time, the sector has sent an unequivocal wake up alarm. They argue that without urgent action the waitlist can quickly increase from 87,000 to more than 100,000 within a few months. To make matters worse, no other packages have been released since June 30.
Aged Care Minister Sam Rae said the plan is designed to address long-standing issues. Each week, 2,700 packages will be released to offer assistance. Advocates contend that this is not enough considering the increase in people requiring services. Now, independent ACT senator David Pocock is raising the alarm. This is why he is urging swift action to address this backlog crisis.
The government is preparing to bring forward its own reforms in November. The public remains unconvinced that these reforms will adequately address the long-standing problems within the aged care system.
Government Response and Future Outlook
In light of these ongoing challenges, Aged Care Minister Sam Rae previously announced that 2,700 packages were being made available each week. However, critics argue that this is insufficient given the growing number of individuals needing support. Independent senator David Pocock has joined calls for action, suggesting that immediate measures should be implemented to address the backlog.
As the government prepares to introduce its reforms in November, many remain skeptical about whether these changes will effectively resolve the ongoing issues within the aged care system.
“There is literally no reason why the government cannot release more packages aside from stubbornness by a minister who is out of his depth, and a Labor Party that can never admit when they’re wrong.” – Anne Ruston
