The minister responsible for the nation's aged care system insists a $1 billion funding boost will help older Australians get help at home earlier, but critics say it's nowhere near enough.
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The funding package will be outlined in the Morrison government's mid-year budget review on Thursday.
Most of the money - $850 million - will go towards creating a further 10,000 home care packages to allow older Australians to continue living at home with support.
Aged Care Minister Richard Colbeck said the waitlist was still close to 100,000 despite decreasing over the past 18 months.
"We need to be able to grow at a rate that the industry and sector can cope with," he told reporters in Tasmania on Wednesday.
The minister said he does not want to "flood the sector" and risk diminishing the level of care people received at home.
Labor hopes the mid-year budget review will also include more money for residential aged care.
Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese says the extra home care packages aren't enough to properly help.
"What we need is a comprehensive plan to deal with aged care both in terms of improving the number of home care places but also dealing with the (COVID-19) crisis," he told reporters in Sydney.
The Council on the Ageing has given the plan the thumbs up while highlighting the impact of lengthy wait times.
"Each year 19,000 people who are approved by government for home care are forced into residential care before they receive a package," the group's chief Ian Yates said.
"Tragically, another 10,000 die while waiting for the care they need and deserve."
Aged care has been a sore point for the federal government this year, with criticism of its pandemic response and failure to stop the virus entering residential facilities and infecting vulnerable people.
The majority of Australia's 908 coronavirus deaths have been in aged care facilities, mainly in Victoria.
Cases are now dwindling across the country as restrictions ease and state borders open.
The funding package includes $8.2 million to extend Victoria's aged care response centre until the end of June next year to ensure its prepared as the pandemic continues.
More than $15.7 million is earmarked for allied health groups for residents living in facilities battling COVID-19 outbreaks.
Some $11 million over five years will help implement the Serious Incident Response Scheme to protect senior Australians from abuse and neglect.
This year's federal budget also included a $1.6 billion boost to create more than 23,000 home care packages.
Australian Associated Press
