THE SENIOR
THE nation’s aged care system is facing renewed scrutiny amid revelations thousands of older Australians have died while waiting for support.
This has led to advocates calling for urgent changes to the way people are assessed for care.
The Federal Government’s Support at Home program, introduced in November 2025 as part of sweeping aged care reforms, was designed to help older Australians remain independent in their own homes for longer.
More than 4800 people died while waiting for funding approval during the 2024-25 financial year, while questions have also been raised about how the Government reports the number of people waiting for support.
Under previous reporting methods, the waiting list would reportedly be more than 53,000 people higher, taking the total beyond 153,000.
Aged Care and Seniors Minister Sam Rae acknowledged it was a tragedy when older Australians died while waiting for care, and said reducing waiting times remained a government priority.
“I think it’s always a tragedy if people pass away while they’re waiting for care,” Mr Rae told the ABC.
“My focus and our government’s focus is on driving down those wait times.
“That’s how we reduce the number of people who pass away without receiving the care that they deserve.”
Independent Senator David Pocock said the system’s reliance on an algorithm was harming older Australians and renewed calls for greater human oversight.
“I think it is clear the minister is failing older Australians and families who deserve a much higher standard of care,” Senator Pocock said.
“These latest case studies reinforce those concerns.”
Older Persons Advocacy Network chief executive Craig Gear said advocates had been raising similar problems since the program began.
“We continue to hear directly from older people about issues in aged care, which will continue to worsen unless changes are made,” Mr Gear said.
