Jul 21, 2020

More than 100,000 older Australians still waiting for home care

New Government figures quietly released yesterday reveal more than 103,000 older Australians are still waiting for the home care package they have been approved for, says Shadow Minister for Ageing, Julie Collins MP.

These shocking figures follow the Aged Care Royal Commission’s interim report which called the long waiting times older Australians faced for home care ‘neglect’.

The Government’s announcement of just 6,000 more home care packages earlier this month will not put a dent in this lengthy waiting list.

While Australians are understandably concerned and focused on the risks of COVID-19 to older people, we must not forget the failings of our country’s broken aged care system.

The shocking figures that reveal the crisis in Australia’s aged care system just keep growing.

Almost 30,000 older Australians sadly passed away in just two years while waiting for home care.

Older Australians waiting for high level home care packages are waiting almost three years to get the care they have been approved for.

The Government must do better to ensure older Australians get the quality aged care services they deserve now.

Image: urbazon, iStock.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  1. We have record unemployment but the Liberal government cannot put a dent in the waiting lists for home care. What is going on ?

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

“We haven’t valued people enough”: New minister outlines plans for aged care

The new Minister for Aged Care, Anika Wells, has outlined her plans for the sector, including encouraging the recruitment of overseas workers to help fill tens of thousands of job vacancies. Read More

Coroner’s inquiry into nursing home death raises question of CCTV cameras

  A North Queensland coroner has raised the question of using CCTV cameras in aged care during an inquest into the death of a 72-year-old woman. The coroner canvassed opinions from family, staff, and police about using CCTV cameras in nursing homes. While some said CCTV cameras would provide clarity around unfortunate incidents such as... Read More

Nurses key to delivering quality palliative care

The Australian College of Nursing has called for a national conversation about palliative care and a focus on ensuring people with life-limiting illnesses receive the personalised care and support they need. Launching its white paper ‘Achieving Quality Palliative Care for All: The Essential Role of Nurses’, ACN CEO Kylie Ward said, “The death of someone... Read More
Advertisement