MEDIA RELEASE – NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS: MORE THAN 110,000 OLDER AUSTRALIANS STILL WAIT FOR HOME CARE – 24 DECEMBER 2019

 

THE HON ANTHONY ALBANESE MP
LEADER OF THE AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY
MEMBER FOR GRAYNDLER

JULIE COLLINS MP
SHADOW MINISTER FOR AGEING AND SENIORS
SHADOW MINISTER FOR WOMEN
MEMBER FOR FRANKLIN

THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS: MORE THAN 110,000 OLDER AUSTRALIANS STILL WAIT FOR HOME CARE

On the eve of Christmas the Morrison Government has quietly revealed more than 110,000 older Australians are still waiting for aged care services at home.

It is completely unacceptable that in a wealthy country like Australia so many older vulnerable people can’t get the aged care they need.

These figures underscore how woefully inadequate Scott Morrison’s response was to his own Royal Commission’s interim report – particularly when it comes to the home care crisis.

Even with the Government’s additional home care packages announced last month there will still be more than 100,000 older Australians waiting for care they have been approved for but are not receiving.

The figures the Government has released late and just prior to Christmas, on the home care crisis, are damning.

Some older Australians are still waiting more than two years for home care.

Recent figures revealed almost 20,000 older Australians were forced into residential aged care when they wanted to receive care at home.

In the last year (2017/18) for which figures were available 16,000 older Australians sadly died while waiting for home care.

The Liberals have been asleep at the wheel for six years, with four Ministers and billions ripped out while Australia’s aged care system has lurched from one crisis to another.

Scott Morrison and the Government must do better to ensure older Australians get the quality aged care services they deserve now – older Australians and their loved ones cannot afford to wait any longer.

TUESDAY, 24 DECEMBER 2019