5 years ago
NEW FIGURES REVEAL OLDER AUSTRALIANS WAITING YEARS FOR CARE AT HOME
JULIE COLLINS MP
New figures have revealed the unacceptably high number of older Australians who have waited more than two years to receive care at home.
The data release, which was delayed until after the Budget, reveals hundreds of older Australians have waited more than two years for the home care package they have been approved for.
“As at 31 December 2017, there were 299 people on the national prioritisation queue who have been waiting more than 24 months for a home care package”
- ANSWERS TO ESTIMATES QUESTIONS ON NOTICE, SENATE COMMUNITY AFFAIRS COMMITTEE
These wait times are for the highest levels of home care packages.
These older Australians were receiving no care at all while they were waiting for a package and these figures do not include those that are receiving interim care at a lower level than they need.
Almost 700 older Australians have been waiting for more than a year without receiving any care.
It is disturbing that hundreds of older Australians are waiting years for care at home that they have been approved for.
It is clear the Turnbull Government’s Budget response will be inadequate in addressing Australia’s home care crisis.
There are 105,000 older Australians currently on the waiting list for a home care package as at December 2017.
The Turnbull Government’s commitment of 3,500 new places a year isn’t even enough to keep pace with demand – the waiting list grew by 20,000 in the last six months of 2017 alone.
The Minister has already admitted the Government will need to consider other interventions to reduce the list, but with older Australians waiting years for care this action needs to be happening now.
The Government needs to apologise for overpromising and under delivering for older Australians.