The Albanese Government’s announcement today of 20,000 additional Home Care Packages by 1 November, with another 20,000 by 31 December, has been met with a mix of cautious relief and sharp criticism.
While the move addresses some of the mounting pressure from the Coalition, crossbench, and advocacy groups like Ageing Australia, it falls far short of resolving the crisis that has left tens of thousands of older Australians languishing on waitlists, some dying before receiving the care they desperately need.
For months, the government has dragged its feet on releasing home care packages, to avoid the administrative burden of transitioning to the new Aged Care Act, set to commence on 1 November.
This shift will see seniors moved to the controversial Support at Home program, which has drawn heavy criticism for its co-contribution payments that threaten to burden pensioners already struggling to make ends meet.
The government’s excuses have rung hollow, especially as Health Department figures reveal a staggering 121,000 Australians awaiting assessment for care and another 87,000 approved but still waiting for support as of 31 July. Over 108,000 people remain on the national priority system, with no clear timeline for relief.
The decision to release just 20,000 packages by November, followed by another 20,000 by year’s end, is a drop in the bucket compared to the scale of the crisis. In the previous financial year alone, 4,812 seniors died while waiting for packages, a tragedy Aged Care Minister Sam Rae called “sad” without offering meaningful solutions.
The remaining 43,000 packages promised for the first half of 2026 do little to ease the immediate suffering of those stuck in limbo, with wait times stretching from six months to two years. For many, this delay means deteriorating health, loss of independence, or worse.
Opposition health spokeswoman Anne Ruston has labelled the government’s inaction a “national crisis,” pointing out that the aged care sector and providers have been ready to deliver packages for months.
“The department is ready, the sector is ready, but the government continues to withhold critical aged care packages without any reasonable excuse,” Ruston said earlier today. Her push, alongside Greens and independent crossbenchers, forced the government’s hand, but the response remains underwhelming.
Ageing Australia, the peak body for aged care providers, welcomed the announcement as a “start” but stressed it was only the beginning of a long road. CEO Tom Symondson acknowledged the government’s concession but highlighted the urgency of addressing the backlog: “This is the start of the long road to get people off waitlists and the care they need.”
The organisation’s sustained advocacy, backed by its members, played a key role in securing this commitment, but the limited scope of the release leaves many questions unanswered.
Health Minister Mark Butler admitted the extra packages will strain the budget, warning of a “steep demand trajectory” as Australia’s ageing population grows. With the oldest baby boomers now around 79 – the average age for entering home care – and residential care demand expected to spike in coming years, the government’s piecemeal approach raises doubts about its preparedness. Butler’s promise to reconcile costs in December’s mid-year economic outlook offers little comfort to those currently waiting.
The government’s reluctance to act sooner has drawn fierce criticism. Greens Senator Penny Allman-Payne previously called the delays “catastrophic,” noting that seniors are missing out on basic care like help with showering or eating.
Independent Senator David Pocock and others have echoed this, arguing there was no excuse for withholding packages that could be delivered now. The government’s tactic of rearranging Senate schedules to delay discussions on aged care laws only deepened perceptions of avoidance.
The introduction of the Support at Home program, with its co-contribution model, adds another layer of concern.
Many seniors, reliant on the pension, fear they will be unable to afford the new payments, potentially forcing them into residential care or leaving them without support altogether. This shift, combined with the government’s slow response, paints a picture of a system that prioritises profit over people.
While the release of 40,000 packages by year’s end is a step forward, it is nowhere near enough.
With over 200,000 Australians caught in the backlog, the government’s half-measures leave tens of thousands of vulnerable seniors in the lurch. For a nation that prides itself on looking after its elderly, the Albanese Government’s response is not just inadequate – it’s a national disgrace.
Immediate action is needed to clear the waitlist and ensure no more Australians die waiting for the care they deserve.
A little too late. My in-laws have been waiting for nearly 2 years for assistance, and I work in the industry. My father-in-law had a fall in June this year, which could have been avoided if he had had a home care package. As a result of the fall, he sustained a bleed on his brain, a fractured collarbone, and a hairline fracture in his hip. Not to mention the extensive bruising he suffered. He was sent to rehab, and we were finally going to get the assistance he needed. Unfortunately, there was a COVID outbreak within the rehab hospital and no means of controlling the spread – staff could only draw curtains between patients in the 2 and 4-bedded rooms, and there are no doors on these rooms. He was transferred back to the acute hospital and put in an isolation room. He could not use either arm/hand and was constantly left without his call bell or bed control, even after meals had been delivered. No assistance was offered by the staff to help him eat or drink. He developed pneumonia. The TV was not working in his room, and when I requested it be fixed, they would not do so because he was infectious. He died alone, staring at a wall. We received a call to say he had deteriorated and to come in, but we were advised on arrival that he had already passed. I can only assume that he had already passed when we were called.
The system is broken, and it is breaking the hearts of many Australians.
Grossly insufficient trained staff to care for the aged is the root cause of the issue.
Great business model for political optics but delivers nothing.
Yes minister is back!
The Government could afford to release more Aged Care Packages if they choose to collect appropriate taxes and royalties from the huge corporations that mine and sell our natural resources. Some of those corporations are Australian owned, some are foreign owned, and some of them are based in tax havens overseas. This comment does not apply to all of those companies, but certainly applies to most.
The government’s continued head-in-the-sand responses to anything relating to needs in aged care in this country is astounding.
Suggesting the home care packages will relieve the waiting/angst in the aged care comunity is a furphy. They (government) know it’s just for show, to look like they’re attending to the problem. WE all know, that nothing will change. More and more people need help, and there are simply not enough carers to manage the demand.
Then, the implied changes to immigration could make it even more unlikely to fill carer placements.
The government is ignorant of the needs of our ageing population – if they live to old age, they will regret their inattention to the true needs.
Reduced funding to Meals on Wheels by councils has forced some to abandon the service and recipients entirely. AGAIN, no understanding of the necessities required by our ageing population.
I despair!