Deep in the Report on the Senate Inquiry into Aged Care Service Delivery, released on Wednesday, is a startling revelation.
"It is completely unacceptable that at the time of writing this report, and more than three weeks after the Government committed to immediately release 20,000 new packages, not a single additional home care package has entered the system," write the three Liberal Party Senators on the Community Affairs Reference Committee, Senators Anne Ruston, Jessica Collins, and Leah Blyth.
The 179-page Report, released only a month before the new Aged Care Act takes effect, reveals the "devastating" consequences of home care delays and long wait times for aged care assessments. The Senators called on the Government to end rationed home care and clear the waiting list of 200,000 either waiting to be assessed or waiting for the correct level of Home Care Package.
The Report also calls for an "urgent" review of the Single Assessment System, which came into effect on 1 January 2025 and was identified another significant bottleneck in the system.
Tim Hicks, Executive General Manager, Bolton Clarke, told the Inquiry, assessment "delays have gone from impacting a small number of areas to being almost universal".
With providers implementing the new Aged Care Act on 1 November 2025, the Report also calls on the Government to finalise Information and Communication Technology (ICT) systems "as a matter of urgency". The Committee said it is alarmed by evidence from inquiry participants that government ICT and IT systems have not yet been finalised ahead of 1 November 2025.
Ageing Australia CEO Tom Symondson said, “We know how much work has been done (on technology) since the delay of the Act. Making sure it works is a top priority for everyone, to ensure older Australians enjoy seamless care."
He added, the recommendation to end rationed home care is "welcome".
"People should be able to access care as they need it and when they need it," he said. "Clearing the wait list and ending the rationing of care packages is a priority."
ACT Independent Senator David Pocock called for the Senate Inquiry with the support of the Greens, Liberals, and other crossbenchers. Submissions and hearings from the Inquiry were a factor in the Government promising to release 40,000 Home Care Packages by the end of the year - yet, despite the pressure, the packages have not been forthcoming.
The Weekly SOURCE has asked the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing about the promised release of new Home Care Packages, but at the time of publishing had not received a response.
The Senate Inquiry, Chaired by Greens Senator Penny Allman-Payne, was held over seven weeks. It received 139 submissions and held a one-day hearing. The Final Report made 11 recommendations in total.
Read the report in full here.
