Ageing Australia is calling on the Federal Government to act on growing delays and funding concerns within the Support at Home program, following a Four Corners report that highlighted the experiences of older Australians struggling to access care.
The organisation is seeking shorter assessment and package wait times, funding that more accurately reflects the cost of individual care needs, and greater human oversight in decisions about the services people receive.
Ageing Australia CEO Tom Symondson said the cases featured by Four Corners showed the difficulties some older people are facing under the current system.
“It is heartbreaking to watch older people crying out for support they so desperately need and deserve,” Symondson said.
He said more than 200,000 people across Australia are currently waiting for a home care package or an assessment, while another 50,000 are receiving only part of the funding they have been promised.
Ageing Australia also argues that the value of some Support at Home packages does not adequately reflect the needs of older people, and is calling for an urgent review of waiting lists, wait times and package values, alongside the release of additional packages to address the backlog.
“Home care shouldn’t be rationed as it is currently, as the Royal Commission so clearly stated,” Symondson said.
The organisation said many older Australians want to remain living in their own homes, close to their families and communities, where appropriate support can help them maintain their independence.
The Four Corners report also examined concerns surrounding the Federal Government’s Integrated Assessment Tool (IAT), an algorithm used as part of the assessment process to determine the level of Support at Home services an older person receives.
The Government has recently announced plans to introduce human oversight into the IAT process. Ageing Australia has previously advocated for greater human involvement in assessments and said it provided the Government with more than 150 examples of older people experiencing difficulties with the system, based on information gathered from its members.
The organisation is now calling for the Government to implement the promised oversight.
“We now need to see the Government follow through on this decision,” Symondson said.
He said assessments should account for the circumstances and needs of each individual rather than relying solely on an automated process.
“Every person should be able to expect that their needs will be met by our system, with care tailored to their individual needs,” he said.
Ageing Australia said the current concerns reinforce the need to address delays, funding levels and assessment processes as the Support at Home program continues to operate across the country.
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