The December Quarter Home Care Packages (HCPs) Program Data Report reveals nearly 45,000 packages were released during the quarter, an average of 3,350 per week.
That is an increase from the rate of 3,250 per week in the September quarter but down from the June quarter, when 3,575 packages were released weekly, on average.
The number of home care providers is increasing. At 31 December 2021, there were 911 home care providers. At the end of 2022, there were 938 home care providers.
Estimated wait times for people entering the wait list for all levels of home care was between one and three months as 28 February 2023.
There were just over 30,000 people seeking a Home Care Package who had never been offered a package.
There were nearly 38,000 people waiting for a HCP at their assessed level of need at the end of the December quarter.
Five providers published a maximum exit amount of $1,000 or more at 31 December 2022. However, from 1 January 2023, home care providers can no longer charge exit amounts, so future Home Care Data Reports will not publish information about maximum exit amounts.
You can read the report in full here.
