Ian Yates AM, former Inspector-General of Aged Care and former Chief Executive of Council on the Ageing, has questioned the Albanese Government's ability to meet its self-imposed targets of reducing the wait time to receive a Home Care Package to three months by 1 July 2027.
In December, the Government released 7,615 HCPs in addition to the 24,100 allocated in the 2024-25 Federal Budget. ACCPA had called for 80,000 new Packages and Bolton Clarke’s Executive General Manager Policy & Advocacy, Tim Hicks, sought 40,000 more. The Government has announced plans to release 83,000 Packages in 2025-26, and 24,000 in 2026-27.
"With a current wait list in the 80,000+, it seems unlikely these numbers will be enough [to reach the target]," Ian told The SOURCE.
His comments follow a post on DCM Group's LinkedIn page, in which he said the blow-out in the waiting list to more than 81,000 is "an absolute disgrace".
Ian has said several times, as we have reported, he is disappointed the incoming reforms do not move aged care to a demand-driven system, as was recommended by the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety.
"Government agrees these people need support and care, but denies them receiving it," he wrote. "People will die badly."
"Obviously many thousands, indeed tens of thousands of people currently in need are not going to get the services government itself agrees they need. This is contrary to Royal Commission recommendations, not to mention the rights set out in the new Act, and basic values," he told The SOURCE.
"If the need is that, then that's the need"
Yvonne Timson, CEO of WA Not For Profit home care and disability provider Community Vision, disputed the Department's claim in Senate Estimates the increase in the wait time to six months on average for Home Care Packages is due to assessors favouring high priority Packages, which are delivered within a month, meaning other Packages have to wait longer.
"They're calling into question the professionalism of the assessors there," she said. "If the need is that, then that's the need, and there's not a lot you can do to get away from that."
