The top 10 aged care takeaways from Senate Estimates
Amid growing public frustration over assessment delays, fee spikes, hospital bottlenecks and workforce shortages, Supplementary Budget Estimates offered more clarity – but little comfort.
Politicians had their first opportunity since the new Aged Care Act commenced to interrogate the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing in Canberra today (Wednesday, 3 December).
And amid growing public frustration over assessment delays, fee spikes, hospital bottlenecks and workforce shortages, Supplementary Budget Estimates offered more clarity – but little comfort.
Here are the 10 takeaways that matter.
1. Interim Packages dominate – at 60% funding
In November, 93% of Home Care Packages allocated were Interim Packages, delivering only 60% of the recommended funding.
The Department says Packages should convert to full funding within 10 weeks – but in reality, clients can remain on interim levels for up to 17 weeks.
2. 107,281 older people are waiting for Support at Home
As at 31 October, 107,281 people were waiting for Support at Home at their assessed level of need, down from 121,909 at the end of September.
3. Assessment queues remain huge
There are 113,150 people waiting for an aged care assessment under the new Single Assessment System – down from 121,596 in July.
4. Assessment wait times continue to climb
The average wait time for an assessment was 30 days in October, up from 24 days in September. Excluding hospital patients, the average was 53.3 days.
Greens Senator Penny Allman-Payne said her party has heard of waits up to nine months.
5. Grandfathered clients are dropping services
Despite Government assurances that grandfathered clients would be “no worse off”, steep fee increases are driving older people to abandon essential services.
Senator David Pocock cited a provider lifting group care fees from $132 to $447 per hour, and respite fees from $75 to $109 per hour.
6. Algorithm overrides removed – and only 19 reconsiderations so far
The removal of clinical assessors’ ability to manually override Integrated Assessment Tool outcomes for Support at Home was confirmed in the July exposure draft.
The Department said algorithm determinations are being monitored, with 19 requests for reconsideration from thousands of assessments.
7. No data on hospital ‘bed blocking’
The Department could not say how many older people are in hospital waiting for residential aged care because there is no agreed definition of delayed discharge between the States and the Commonwealth.
As a result, the Department cannot cost the problem.
8. A new workforce model is coming
The Department is testing a new model to forecast workforce needs. It is expected to be released within six months.
9. Home care demand will soar by 2044
By 2044, 1.8 million older Australians will seek home care – an increase of 34,500 people each year.
Today, the number sits at around 300,000.
10. Ministers, not the Department, allocate Packages
Support at Home Package allocation decisions sit with the Health and Finance Ministers, not the Department.
In total, 1,750 questions were submitted ahead of today’s hearing – just 380 have been answered.
Watch this space then.
