Elderly Queenslanders left waiting for Home Care
Thousands of elderly Queenslanders are stuck on the waiting list for Home Care packages, which helps them avoid going into residential aged care. There are calls for action to fix the system.
QLD News
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The number of Home Care packages available in Queensland, which allow elderly Australians access to aged care services at home, have stagnated despite a report from almost a year ago urgently calling for a fix to the “cruel and unfair” system.
The figures are revealed today as the Aged Care Royal Commission turns its attention to the troubled Home Care system, which warned people were often left waiting for more than a year for their package even after being assessed as needing high-level help.
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There were 8620 older Queensland residents on the waiting list for Home Care packages as at March 31 this year, just down on the 8740 from December 31 last year.
When the Royal Commission’s interim report was released at the end of October last year, the Morrison Government announced an extra 10,000 places nationally.
But Labor’s aged care spokeswoman Julie Collins said it has failed to keep up with the demand.
“The Morrison Government needs to fix the home care crisis now,” she said.
“We know older Australians seeing the tragic outbreaks of COVID-19 in nursing homes will see more Australians wanting to receive aged care at home.
“Many families with loved ones already in nursing homes will also be looking at options for these family members to receive care at home.”
Aged Care Minister Richard Colbeck said the Morrison Government had prioritised funding additional Home Care packages.
“As recently as July, it announced a further investment in home care packages as part of its ongoing commitment to help senior Australians live independently for longer,” he said.
Senator Colbeck said this included $325 million for another 6105 packages, while there had been 50,000 additional packages added into the system since the 2018-19 budget.
“The latest investment is another step toward reducing wait times and connecting more senior Australians to essential care sooner,” he said.
