Aged care funding boost welcome but older Australians living at home need more

Labor is being urged to “do more” for the thousands of older Australians seeking support to live independently for longer, as the sector welcomes a $440 million in-home funding boost.

Labor is being urged to “do more” for the tens of thousands of older Australians seeking support to live independently for longer, as the sector welcomes a $440 million funding boost for in-home aged care.

Council on the Ageing (COTA) Australia acting chief executive Corey Irlam said the organisations welcomed the federal government’s efforts to reduce the wait times for basic home supports, but wanted Labor to “lock in a plan” so no older Australian waits more than 30 days to receive a higher level package.

Council on the Ageing Australia acting chief executive Corey Irlam. Picture: Facebook

“Current wait times in Home Care Packages of 12-15 months for a level four Home Care Package is simply not acceptable,” he said.

Mr Irlam said the $440m in funding announced by Aged Care Minister Anika Wells on Monday would help many Australians access lower level supports, but would not be enough to “clear the decks” of the more than 58,000 Australians waiting for a home care package who only use the lesser supports as an interim solution.

“Getting timely support when you first make the decision to accept support to remain in your home is vital,” he said.

“It’s demoralising for older people waiting so long after they finally admit to themselves they need a little help to remain safe at home, and particularly impacts those who deteriorate faster because they didn’t get the support they needed sooner.”

‘OUR TURN TO GIVE BACK TO THEM’

An extra $440 million will be tipped into aged care supports so more older Australians can live in their own home for longer under a three year investment in services to help people maintain their independence.

Entry level aged care services will be the focus of the new spending to be announced by the Albanese Government on Monday, with the funds coming on top of a $4.3 billion “support at home” package announced in September.

The federal government will invest a further $440 million in home care for older Australians.

Transport assistance, meals, personal care, home modification and other help around the house are among the services being offered to older Australians to prolong their independence and allow them to stay in their community rather than in residential aged care.

The funding will also go toward 116 new culturally appropriate Commonwealth Home Support Program providers, including 18 First Nations organisations, to assist ageing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

A further 41 existing providers have been offered additional grants to boost the availability of their most in-demand services, and expand their delivery into more regions of Australia.

Aged Care Minister Anika Wells says the extra investment will increase services for older Australians. Picture: NewsWire/Martin Ollman

Aged Care Minister Anika Wells said there would be new providers in every state and territory to support older people to access a range of services, including “domestic assistance, allied health and therapy, community transport and home maintenance”.

“Bringing on new … providers to support more older First Nations people is part of the government’s commitment to Closing the Gap and ensuring culturally safe and trauma informed aged care,” she said.

Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care, Ged Kearney said older Australians “made this country” and it was “our turn to give back to them”.

“A home is so much more than just a comfortable space: it’s memories, independence, security, identity. Older Australians deserve to stay in their homes for as long as possible,” she said.

Ms Kearney said historically there had been “gaps” in the provision of culturally appropriate aged care services.

“This investment demonstrates this government’s ongoing commitment to ensuring aged care service provision is holistic, safe and inclusive,” she said.

Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care Ged Kearney says the home care system “gives back” to older Australians. Picture: NewsWire/Nicki Connolly

The investment comes after Labor and the Coalition struck a deal in September to overhaul how the aged care system, including at-home supports, are funded from mid next year.

Anyone who was already approved for a Home Care Package at the time of the announcement will be grandfathered on the existing funding rules and will continue with the same contribution regime.

Under the new rules, the total lifetime contribution of an older Australian to their Support at Home and non-clinical care in a residential aged care facility is being capped at $130,000.

The new Support at Home program will also have a defined list of services and capped budgets for certain items to reduce overcharging by providers.

The family home will continue to be largely exempt from the aged care means test as per its current treatment.

Originally published as Aged care funding boost welcome but older Australians living at home need more