New government data shows mixed results for aged care wait times, with older Australians waiting longer to enter residential care while the median wait for Support at Home has fallen.
The Department of Health, Disability and Ageing’s latest quarterly report shows the median wait between application and commencement of ongoing residential aged care increased to 138 days, or around five months, in the June 2026 quarter. The average wait also rose to 356 days. Short-term residential care recorded an average wait of 329 days.
Support at Home recorded an improvement, although it remains the service with the longest median wait. The median wait for an ongoing package fell from 344 days to 297 days, or around 10 months. However, the number of people waiting for an ongoing Support at Home package increased to 106,977 as of 30 June, up from 100,191 three months earlier.
Waits also increased for assistive technology and home modifications, while the End-of-Life Pathway recorded the shortest median wait at 14 days. Overall, the national median wait for an older person applying through My Aged Care and commencing an aged care service fell from 294 to 255 days.
Aged Care Minister Sam Rae said the figures show progress in expanding access to care, while acknowledging there is still more work to do.
Check out the full article for the latest national and state-by-state figures and what they reveal about access to aged care services.