The aged care consultancy has raised concerns that many of the new Level 3 and 4 packages allocated since 27 February 2017 have been given to people who were approved for high care home care before 1 July 2016 because “they were closer to the top of the queue...”, following the release of the first Home Care Packages data report.
“There may be many many people who were approved for high care home care a year or more ago but whose needs may be below those of a person approved today, but the processes do not appear able to capture this.”
The number of people on an interim lower package has jumped to over 35,000, compared to 20,000 before the reforms kicked in on 27 February.
James Underwood says that as people with higher incomes and assets are better able to “top up” their care while they wait for a package, this could lead to a rise in the number of residential aged care admissions for more disadvantaged people who can’t afford to self-fund any more home care.
A worrying outcome.
