NATIONAL Seniors Australia (NSA) supports the Federal Government’s decision to delay implementation of the new Aged Care Act to November 1, but is calling for the immediate release of additional home care packages to ease wait times.
NSA CEO Chris Grice said that while the peak consumer body supports a delay to the aged care reforms to ensure providers are ready and consumers are informed, the 83,000 people waiting for a Home Care Package can’t be forgotten.
“NSA supports additional time to ensure a smooth transition to the changes, but we are running out of time for vulnerable Australians desperately waiting for support at home,” Mr Grice said.
“National Seniors Australia is calling for an immediate increase in the number of Home Care Packages to reduce the wait list to approximately 25,000 people by 1 January 2026.
“We keep hearing about the delivery of ‘once in a generation reforms that put older Australians at the centre of their care’.
“They are inspirational words, but they are meaningless for the 83,000 people living in the community waiting for care.”
While the wait list has decreased since June 2019, wait times have shot up since 2023, with almost 83,000 older Australians now awaiting a Home Care Package.
“The Government’s response to the final report of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety in May 2021 assured us, ‘the respect for senior Australians is, and must be, a national priority’.
“This once‐in‐a‐generation opportunity was reaffirmed by the current government with the same passion prior to the election,” Mr Grice said.
“Clearing the home care wait list was one of the many recommendations of the Aged Care Royal Commission, one National Seniors Australia has always seen as a top priority.
“The Government’s delay of the reform start date is a practical move. Delivering more home care packages urgently is another.”
By: Anna Townend
Source: National Seniors Australia
