$1b to be injected into aged care to fix ‘deplorable’ sector

The government has injected another $1b into the aged care sector after a special report found waiting lists for home care packages were ‘neglect’.

The federal government will provide an extra 10,000 home care packages to enable older Australians to live at their own homes longer.

The packages will cost $850 million and make up most of a $1 billion outlay announcement.

The federal government has faced criticism over its handling of the sector, with more than 600 deaths in aged care facilities as a result of COVID-19.

But Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the funding showed aged care support was “an absolute priority” and home care packages provided older Australians with flexibility.

“By providing more support to people at home, we are ensuring that Australians, as they age, have greater choices and their families have greater choices,” he said.

More than 600 Australians have died in aged care centres from COVID-19. Picture: Darrian Traynor / Getty Images

“We will continue to address the many challenges there are in aged care, not only by boosting funding but also providing better access to health services to improve physical and mental wellbeing for older Australians.”

The government said it had funded an additional 50,000 home care packages since the Aged Care Royal Commission’s interim report was handed down last year.

It has pledged to increase the number of Australians receiving home care support to 195,000 by mid-2021.

Health Minister Greg Hunt said the announcement underlined the government’s commitment to meeting that target.

“It’s an important measure that can be instrumental to overall health and wellbeing and offer reassurance to families that their loved one is receiving appropriate care,” he said.

Greg Hunt says the funding underlined the government’s commitment to meeting that target. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Geraghty

Labor aged care spokeswoman Julie Collins has dismissed the announcement as “just another drop in the ocean”.

“There will still be 100,000 older Australians waiting for a home care package this Christmas and today’s announcement doesn’t come close to fixing this crisis,” he said.

“Time and time again the Morrison Government’s announcements of new home care packages have failed to address the true scale of Australia’s aged care crisis.

“Over three years, more than 30,000 older Australians died waiting for home care that has already been approved.’

Infection control experts will be dispatched to aged care centres to provide training. Picture: Sarah Matray

The package also includes $63.3m to boost mental health care for people in residential aged care, and another $57.8m towards to the National Partnership on COVID-19 response.

The announcement comes after a special report by the aged care royal commission found “deplorable” infection control measures at aged care facilities.

The government has announced infection control experts would be dispatched to every aged care facility in the country to provide aged care workers with training.