4 years ago
OLDER AUSTRALIANS WAITING FOR HOME CARE
JULIE COLLINS MP
The latest release of the Morrison Government’s home care packages waitlist has revealed more than 129,000 older Australians are languishing waiting for care.
The distressing number of older Australians waiting for care underscores the failure of Scott Morrison’s response to this ongoing crisis.
Under the Liberal Government the waitlist for home care has grown from 88,000 to more than 129,000 older Australians.
Labor has been calling for action on reducing the waitlist since the first release of data revealed too many older Australians were waiting for care.
Reforms to aged care were meant to give older Australians the choice to age at home, but these figures confirm the Liberals’ policy chaos has failed older Australians.
Scott Morrison again locked aged care out of Cabinet after the election and there have now been four different Ministers responsible for this policy area since the Liberals were elected.
In January the Productivity Commission revealed the median wait time for a home care package has blown out in the last year by more than two months.
As the list grows longer and longer, fresh stories emerge daily of older Australians waiting for care.
Older Australians are entering residential aged care or even emergency departments instead of receiving their approved home care package.
Many older Australians are waiting more than 12 months for the package they have been approved for and some are waiting more than two years.
Older Australians deserve better.
The distressing number of older Australians waiting for care underscores the failure of Scott Morrison’s response to this ongoing crisis.
Under the Liberal Government the waitlist for home care has grown from 88,000 to more than 129,000 older Australians.
Labor has been calling for action on reducing the waitlist since the first release of data revealed too many older Australians were waiting for care.
Reforms to aged care were meant to give older Australians the choice to age at home, but these figures confirm the Liberals’ policy chaos has failed older Australians.
Scott Morrison again locked aged care out of Cabinet after the election and there have now been four different Ministers responsible for this policy area since the Liberals were elected.
In January the Productivity Commission revealed the median wait time for a home care package has blown out in the last year by more than two months.
As the list grows longer and longer, fresh stories emerge daily of older Australians waiting for care.
Older Australians are entering residential aged care or even emergency departments instead of receiving their approved home care package.
Many older Australians are waiting more than 12 months for the package they have been approved for and some are waiting more than two years.
Older Australians deserve better.