In last night’s federal budget announcement, the Albanese Government unveiled a significant pay rise for aged care nurses, yet it offered no additional funding to tackle the growing crisis of more than 82,000 older Australians languishing on waiting lists for home care packages.
This omission has sparked concern among advocates and opposition figures alike, as the demand for in-home support continues to surge, leaving vulnerable individuals without the assistance they urgently need.
The budget allocates AUD 2.6 billion to boost wages for approximately 60,000 aged care nurses, a move that will see registered nurses earn an extra AUD 22,000 annually compared to pre-Labor election levels.
This investment builds on the government’s commitment to improve pay and conditions in the sector, with hopes it will stem the tide of workforce shortages by retaining existing staff and attracting new talent.
However, while this step has been welcomed as a vital recognition of nurses’ value, it does little to address the immediate needs of older Australians waiting for care in their own homes.
Latest government figures paint a stark picture. As of 31 December 2024, 82,960 individuals were on the priority waiting list for home care packages, a staggering 189 per cent increase since June 2023.
For those with the highest needs, wait times now stretch between 12 and 15 months. This dramatic rise underscores a system struggling to keep pace with an ageing population increasingly eager to remain independent at home rather than move into residential care.
Shadow Aged Care Minister Anne Ruston has labelled the situation “absolutely unacceptable,” arguing that the government’s failure to act is jeopardising the wellbeing of the next generation of older Australians.
The home care package scheme, designed to support people in maintaining their independence, appears to be buckling under pressure. Despite the clear escalation in demand, the budget contains no new funds to reduce the backlog or shorten wait times.
Critics argue this oversight risks undermining the government’s broader aged care reform agenda, which includes AUD 300 million over five years to implement recommendations from the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety.
While these reforms aim to enhance the sector’s long-term sustainability, they offer little immediate relief to those currently waiting.
Meanwhile, challenges persist in residential aged care. Recent data reveals that nearly half of all homes (47 per cent) are not meeting required care time targets for residents, with one in four failing to provide sufficient registered nurse hours.
The pay rise for nurses may help address staffing shortages in these facilities over time, but it does not directly alleviate the bottleneck in home care services, where the need is growing most acutely.
Anne Ruston has been vocal in her criticism, pointing out that the waiting list has nearly tripled in just 18 months under Labor’s watch.
“The Albanese Government is overseeing a home care wait list that continues to blow out,” she said, highlighting the plight of more than 82,000 vulnerable Australians assessed as needing support but left without it.
Her concerns echo a broader sentiment that while wage increases are a step forward for workers, they do not address the systemic shortfall in service provision.
For older Australians and their families, the lack of new funding in this budget represents a missed opportunity to ease a mounting crisis.
The government’s focus on workforce investment is commendable, but without parallel efforts to expand home care capacity, thousands will remain in limbo, waiting for the support they were promised.
As the population ages and preferences shift towards ageing in place, the pressure on this system will only intensify, raising questions about how long the current approach can hold before more comprehensive action is taken.
