FUNDING to support 10,000 more ageing Australians to keep living at home has been positively received, with a central Victorian advocate describing it as a step in the right direction.
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Ruth Hosking, a member of Victoria's Council on the Ageing, welcomed the federal government's $850 million commitment.
The wait for home care packages has been concerning Mrs Hosking, who has been advocating for action, for some time.
She was pleased the federal government was recognising the issue, which was among those raised by the Royal Commission into Aged Care.
The Royal Commission described the Home Care Package access system as cruel and discriminatory, and said it placed great strain on older Australians and their relatives.
Its interim report, released in October 2019, detailed long waiting times during which many people died and other moved into residential care prematurely.
There were almost 120,000 people on the waiting list ahead of the report's release.
The Royal Commission called on the government, at the time, to make funding forthcoming to ensure the timely delivery of services.
"It is shocking that the express wishes of older people to remain in their own homes for as long as possible, with the supports they need, is downplayed with an expectation that they will manage," the interim report said.
"It is unsafe practice. It is neglect."
The most recent federal budget included $1.6 billion for new home care packages.
The Council on the Ageing tallied the number of new home care packages funded this financial year at almost 40,000.
"This gives us hope that the government is well on the way to making aged care reform a major budget priority, which I commend them for," COTA chief executive Ian Yates said.
But Mr Yates said the current system simply wasn't working, with 19,000 Australians entering residential aged care before they received a package and another 10,000 people dying while waiting for support.
Mrs Hosking said the new funding, to be detailed as part of the government's mid-year budget review on Thursday, would ease the situation but wouldn't solve it.
The most recent data shows 945 people in the Loddon Mallee region were waiting on a Home Care Package at their approved level on September 30.
Of those, more than 500 people were waiting for the two higher levels of care - levels three and four.
"My sincere hope is the 10,000 packages are allocated to applicants in levels three and four because they're the ones that run the risk if they don't get their package they'll go into residential care earlier than perhaps they need have, or pass away before they get the package," Mrs Hosking said.
The national association of age services providers, Leading Age Services Australia, acknowledged the government's investment.
But the association called for the opportunity to work with the government on a detailed plan to reduce the waiting list and boost the number of high-level packages.
"Acknowledging some progress in home care, it is important to call attention to the notable lack of significant investment in the structural problems facing residential aged care," LASA acting chief advocate Tim Hicks said.
- with Australian Associated Press
Emma D'Agostino
Covering general news and Bendigo council.
Covering general news and Bendigo council.
