Senate inquiry to examine Home Care Package delays

A Senate inquiry will examine the impact of delaying the Support at Home program and withholding new Home Care Packages. In a 28 July statement, the Greens said spokesperson for Older People Senator Penny Allman-Payne will chair the inquiry, with Allman-Payne to focus on advocates and community members being given the opportunity to raise concerns.

These concerns include the lack of timely access to Home Care Packages and “the rising costs and inequality coming to the aged care system from 1 November when the remaining changes come into effect”.

National Seniors Australia welcomed the inquiry, its CEO Chris Grice saying that while the peak consumer body understands the need for the commencement delay of the new Aged Care Act from 1 July to 1 November, this does not mean the government needs to delay the release of new packages — promised to be released from 1 July.

“The new Aged Care Act acknowledges older people want to stay in their own homes for longer so they can remain healthy, active and socially connected. It also acknowledges older Australians increasingly want the freedom, support and choice to remain in the home and community they love,” Grice said.

“These inspiring ideals — to help older Australians remain safe and independent in their own homes as they age, are not possible without the urgent release of more home care packages,” Grice added. “While the wait list decreased since June 2019, wait times have shot up since 2023, with approximately 88,000 people now waiting for a home care package.”

Grice also called “for the immediate increase in home care packages to reduce the wait list to 25,000 people”, adding: “Clearing the wait list was a recommendation of the Aged Care Royal Commission, and one NSA sees as a top priority for the federal government”.

In a 25 July statement, ACT Independent Senator David Pocock had called for the inquiry. “While the Home Care program will transition to a new Support at Home model in November there’s no reason to withhold desperately needed Home Care packages in the interim,” Pocock said. “There is a huge human cost to delaying the release of more Home Care packages.

“For some people that means being stuck in hospital longer because they can’t get the support they need to return home safely. For others it means entering residential aged care earlier than they otherwise would have; others are struggling at home without the help they need.”

Image credit: iStock.com/Dobrila Vignjevic