‘A huge human cost': Labor criticised over delays to aged care reforms as waitlist grows
The Albanese government lost its first parliamentary vote of the new term on Monday afternoon, when the Senate voted to establish an inquiry into delays for home care packages, including unmet needs and the wellbeing of seniors waiting for assistance.
Proposed by the ACT independent David Pocock, the vote was supported by the Greens and the Coalition, and comes after the aged care minister, Sam Rae, rejected calls to bring forward an additional 20,000 home care packages.
Labor's reforms to the sector, originally slated to come into force from 1 July, have been pushed back to November, delaying the release of more than 80,000 home care packages.
More than 87,000 elderly people are on the waitlist for care at home, with wait times up to 15 months.
Labor has promised an end to lengthy delays by 2027, with maximum wait times of 90 days.
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'There is a huge human cost to delaying the release of more home care packages,' Pocock said.
'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.'
The push follows warnings from the sector that Labor's changes risk squeezing out elderly people with limited financial means.
Tracey Burton, chief executive of Uniting NSW and ACT, told Guardian Australia early this month equitable access for poorer Australians remains an unmet promise of changes passed by parliament last year.
After a royal commission and a taskforce report to the federal government, Labor introduced new rules requiring wealthier people to pay more for their care and boosting access to support services for people who choose to stay in their own home.
Residents who can afford to pay for their own care do so using a payment known as a refundable accommodation deposit (RAD). The average RAD is $470,000, with the lump sum refunded to family members when a resident dies.
Elderly people whose care is paid for by the government rely on a supported accommodation supplement, worth $70 per day.
The Greens aged care spokesperson, Penny Allman-Payne, is set to chair the Senate inquiry. She said the difference in value between RADs and supported placements, combined with a shortage of available residential beds and a rationing of home care packages, has led to fears of a two-tier system.
'You shouldn't have to be a millionaire just to guarantee care in your old age, but that's exactly what's at risk from Labor's new aged care system.
'Far from fixing the residential aged care system, Labor's changes coming this November mean wealthier homeowners may soon be worth twice as much in revenue to an aged care facility as an older person who lives week to week.'
In a letter to crossbench MPs, Rae said the government acknowledged high demand for home care places, and said it was expected to continue up to November.
But he rebuffed calls for bringing forward extra places.
'We also recognise that waiting to access a [home care package] has a real impact on older people and their families, as well as on the care providers.
'The Support at Home program is designed to bring down wait times for care and deliver more tailored support, giving older people the flexibility and choice to stay at home for longer.'
Demand for aged care services is expected to surge, with the country on track for a doubling of people over 65 and a tripling of those aged over 85 within 40 years.
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