Home care concerns: Senator Ruston’s pre-election promises

Australia heads to the polls in just days, and barring an incredibly close Federal Election, will be confidently forging ahead under a re-elected Anthony Albanese-led Labor Government, or in a new direction with Peter Dutton’s Coalition.

Depending on the polls you look at, Labor holds a healthy two-party lead over the Coalition that suggests it could even increase its popularity compared to the last election.

However, you can never say never in Australian politics.

Both sides continue to fight on the aged care battleground. Although election promises have been relatively low key — both sides have committed to funding new residential aged care homes — there have been few groundbreaking policy plays.

That’s changed to some extent this week as the Shadow Minister for Health and Aged Care, Anne Ruston, addressed concerns over aged care’s growing waitlist that is heaving under immense pressure.

The current Home Care Package waitlist sits at roughly 83,000 people with some waiting up to 15 months for approved Packages. That could be the difference between staying at home or being forced into hospital or residential aged care earlier than necessary. 

The Coalition places this blame on Labor, particularly as home care waitlists have more than doubled under Labor, rising from just under 38,000 in 2022.

Senator Ruston told Hello Leaders that fixing the home care waitlist crisis created will be a priority under a Dutton-led Coalition Government.”

“We know the next generation of older Australians wants to stay independent in their own homes for longer, which is why it is unacceptable that Labor has overseen a skyrocketing wait list for home care,” she said.

“The wait list has almost tripled in the last 18 months alone, leaving almost 83,000 vulnerable Australians without the critical support they have been assessed as needing.

“This is a result of the Albanese Government’s mismanagement of our home care system. Their inadequate and delayed release of home care packages is in stark contrast to the 40,000 additional home care packages released each year by the Coalition Government.”

The Labor Government has promised that the new Support at Home program will help reduce wait times for older Australians wanting to access home care services. However, this is no quick fix, with even its estimates suggesting it will take another two years to reduce the wait time to an average of three months. 

It aims to achieve this by expanding Support at Home with 107,000 additional places in the short-term.

Senator Ruston, meanwhile, said a zero month wait is the only acceptable goal.

“⁠Forcing older Australians to wait almost a year on average to access the support they need to stay in their own homes is unacceptable,” she added.

“In government, we worked hard to get wait times below six months for all levels. We will continue with the goal of working towards no Australian having to wait for the home care they have been assessed as needing.  

“The Coalition has a proven record of reducing wait time and increasing access to home care services.”

Addressing community care concerns

Last week, industry peak body Ageing Australia warned that 830,000 older Australians receiving Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP) services would be left in limbo under requirements for new service agreements — a first for CHSP recipients. 

“Being ready for the new Act was already near impossible, but this new decision crosses the line, making it truly impossible,” Ageing Australia CEO Tom Symondson said.

“The goal posts have been moved. This new requirement has come out of nowhere, was called for by nobody and there has been no consultation.”

“More than 830,000 older Australians will be left in limbo unless something changes urgently. There will be widespread confusion for community care recipients, their families and providers alike, with a very real risk that hundreds of thousands of older people will miss out on the vital services they require.”

Currently there are no obligations for CHSP providers to have service agreements with recipients. This means that providers, already snowed under by the requirements of transitioning to the new Act, will have to create and negotiate 830,000 agreements before 1 July when the rules outlining what those agreements must look like are not yet even finalised.

The government has since confirmed that a 12 month transition period will be provided so that providers and CHSP recipients have ample time to create and sign agreements. This will be followed by their official move to Support at Home no earlier than mid-2027.

Senator Ruston expressed her concern for CHSP recipients, though, stating that it’s time for providers to learn how they will fit into the new home care system. 

She said the Coalition will not leave 800,000 older Australians in the dark and that the Coalition will ensure older Australians get the care they need, when they need it, to age with dignity, choice, and control.

“A Dutton Coalition Government will also prioritise the more than 800,000 people who rely on the Commonwealth Home Support Program for community-based care services that have been left behind by the Albanese Government,” she added.

“We cannot afford to wait any longer to understand how this program will transition to Support at Home. We will place priority on the planning and integration of the Commonwealth Home Support Program to Support at Home.

“The Coalition has raised concerns on behalf of these older Australians time and time again. It is shocking that this Government does not have a plan as to how the Commonwealth Home Support Program will exist into the future.”

After speaking at this week’s Invox National Support at Home conference, where Senator Ruston said good public policy is developed by speaking to the people delivering care and those impacted by it, the industry will have to wait a little longer to hear exactly what policy measures are going to deliver those outcomes.