New figures out this week show there are till 120,000 older Australians waiting for a home care package — a small drop on the 128,000 recorded in April.
The figures released by the Department of Health show the number on the waiting list has reduced, but many on the list are still waiting more than a year for the higher Level 2, 3 and 4 packages.
National Seniors Chief Advocate Ian Henschke says whilst he appreciates that the Federal Government has acted to turn a ballooning list into a shrinking list, much more needs to be done.
Mr Henschke says, “Older Australians overwhelmingly want to stay in their home, which costs the government less than placing them in nursing homes. We continue to hear of people dying waiting for the home care package they desperately needed and others ending up in residential care prematurely.”
As the Royal Commission into Aged Care revealed, 16,000 older Australians died waiting for a home care package last year.
Let’s hope that in the next Federal Budget, the urgent calls for more funding for aged care home packages is listened to.
