Older Australians are still waiting for answers about delayed home care packages, with the government offering confusing excuses and little clarity. For months, the Albanese government has stalled on releasing more home care packages, leaving many seniors without the support they need to stay safe and healthy at home.
During a heated Question Time in Parliament, Health Minister Mark Butler called the delay “relatively short,” claiming the aged care sector wasn’t ready for the new system. However, this explanation doesn’t add up for many in the sector who say providers are ready to deliver packages now.
Aged Care Minister Sam Rae has been under fire for his vague answers. When asked how many seniors are waiting for packages or even dying before receiving them, Rae dodged the question. Instead of providing current numbers, he repeated that 2,000 packages are being released weekly and claimed high-priority cases get help within a month.
But these responses don’t address the scale of the problem or the real-world impact on seniors stuck on waitlists. For example, when Liberal MP Zoe McKenzie raised the case of “Kevin,” who was told to wait a year for an assessment, Rae simply asked for Kevin’s details without explaining how the system would improve.
Opposition Leader Sussan Ley slammed Rae’s responses as a “word salad,” accusing him of blaming the aged care sector, elderly Australians, and even other ministers for the delays.
When pressed about the 4,812 seniors who died waiting for packages in the previous financial year, Rae called the deaths “sad” but offered no new data or solutions. Instead, he shifted focus to the opposition, claiming they supported delaying the new aged care law.
Liberal Senator Anne Ruston called this out, saying the law’s delay has “nothing to do” with releasing home care packages, which have been provided for years without issue.
Greens Senator Penny Allman-Payne has been blunt, saying every day of delay means more seniors miss out on basic care like help with showering or eating. She called the government’s inaction “catastrophic,” noting that waiting six months to two years for care can lead to worsening health and even death.
Allman-Payne and others, including Senator David Pocock, are pushing for 20,000 more packages to be released immediately, arguing there’s no excuse for further delays.
The government’s refusal to act has frustrated the aged care sector and families alike. Opposition and crossbench senators are now gearing up to force a vote to release more packages sooner, but Labor has rearranged Senate schedules to delay discussions on aged care laws.
This move has only reinforced the fact that the government is avoiding accountability.
It’s absolutely fantastic to be finally heard! Some of us , individuals and grassroots groups have been advocating for years. Senator David Pocock encouraged the recent Inquiry and Senator Penny Allman-Payne has been doing a great job calling out the Government on this avoidable, preventable catastrophe!!
Thank you Hellocare!