It’s been a year since the Aged Care Act started, but thousands of aged Australians are still waiting for the care they are promised. Tom Symondson, CEO of Ageing Australia states that “Care delayed is care denied.” According to reports, the average wait time for a Support at Home package is 300 days. There are around 4,000 older people who are stuck in hospital and can’t access care that a community can provide.
It takes months to be assessed and additional months to have funding approved. “Legislation alone cannot deliver care.” The new Aged Care Act is an achievement but infrastructure, workforce, and funding are also needed for this to be a success. Symondson calls on the Government to deliver what they have promised.
The responsibility for care shifts towards the older people, their partners, their children, and even the hospital system and care providers. Ageing Australia is asking the Australian Government to end home care rationing, establish an investment plan for national aged care, and address the immediate funding pressures.