NORTH-EAST: Delay on home care packages
Indi MHR Helen Haines (pictured) is amongst a group of independent MPs and Senators who are concerned about the impact the Albanese Govern-ment’s decision to postpone the commencement of 80,000 new Home Care Packages will have on older Australians.
Some 83,000 new Home Care packages were due to be rolled out from July 1, this has now been postponed until November.
There are currently some 80,000 Australians on the waitlist for a Home Care package.
It takes 12 to 15 months for someone to get a level 4 package. In that context a six month delay is consequential.
Research shows that the longer people go without appropriate Home Care supports, the higher their risk of injury, hospitalisation and earlier entry into residential aged care.
The delay will also imperil the Albanese Government’s commitment that by 2027 no one will wait more than 90 days for a package.
The parliamentarians have signed an open letter calling on the Government to, at a minimum, fund 20,000 new packages to commence on July 1 under the current Home Care Packages scheme, which can then be rolled over onto the new Support at Home program when it eventually commences.
Independent Senator David Pocock said older Australians and their families couldn’t
afford to wait even longer for much-needed support in their homes: “Last term the Albanese Government made some good progress with multi-partisan support but now they need to prioritise implementation,” Senator Pocock said.
“I regularly have families contacting me about the excessively long wait times for Home Care packages. We can’t afford to delay this further.”
Dr Haines said: “While the sector acknowledges this delay as a frustrating but necessary step, we need more home care packages now to bridge the gap until November.
“In my electorate, people have approved packages but are waiting months for care because of a lack of providers.
“We also can’t delay the rollout of a pricing framework that fairly reflects the travel costs to deliver care in rural areas.”
Independent Member for Kooyong, Dr Monique Ryan, said older Australians were already waiting too long for support.
“It’s clear that the industry is not yet ready to implement the new Aged Care Act – and it makes sense to delay it,” Dr Ryan said.
“However, older Australians shouldn’t suffer because of the aged care system’s failures. They’re already waiting far too long for the help they need. The government should urgently fund an extra 20,000 home care packages to support older Australians stay safe and healthy at home, while it helps stakeholders transition to the new framework.”