A prominent member of the taskforce advising on Labor’s aged care reforms has come out publicly to warn that the federal Government is not releasing enough home care packages, putting at risk tens of thousands of elderly Australians. Source: The Australian.
Australian Unity, one of the 20 members of Labor’s aged care transition taskforce, said the Government must urgently release 20,000 more aged care packages after it announced earlier this month that it would delay its sector-wide reforms by four months.
The $5.6 billion reforms, which providers and advocates warned for months were being rushed, will from November see thousands of new home care packages go online and a whole new system of home care set up.
While the delay was broadly welcomed to allow the sector time to implement the changes, concern has now been raised that the delay in releasing more packages will be catastrophic for some consumers, given the number of people already waiting for care is well above 80,000.
“The Government must urgently release new home care packages. Delaying this lifeline risks leaving tens of thousands of older Australians without the support they need. Postponing the introduction of the Aged Care Act is justified, but it must not come at the cost of those already waiting,” Australian Unity Home Health chief executive Prue Bowden writes in The Australian.
Ms Bowden called on the Albanese Government to “continue with the previously planned release of home care packages from July 1 at the latest”.
Aged Care Minister Sam Rae said the Government would roll out 80,000 new places in the first 12 months of the Support at Home program, now due to begin from November 1.
“The home care packages program is currently operating at record levels under our government. Older people classified as high priority that need urgent access to home care will continue to receive their package within a month,” he said.
FULL STORY
Release more home care packages now or risk suffering for thousands of elderly, Labor told (By Sarah Ison, The Australian)
