The Morrison Government’s promise to help older Australians live at home longer is working with 217,724 people accessing a Home Care Package (HCP) as of 31 December 2021.
This is a 6.7% (13,578) increase since 30 September (204,146), and a 25.5% increase (44,229) since 31 December 2020 (173,495), with the number of home care recipients now far exceeding the 189,954 people using residential aged care (permanent or respite).
There were 50,400 HCPs released in the December 2021 quarter, at an average of about 3,900 per week. There were 32,853 approvals for a HCP to 31 December 2021.
The December quarter also saw the largest quarterly inflow of new entrants (21,592) to a HCP, the single largest quarterly inflow of new entrants. It is 10.2% (1,993 people) more than the previous largest quarter (September 2021 quarter: 19,599).
In the 2021-22 Budget, the Federal Government announced the release of an additional 80,000 HCPs (40,000 in 2021-22 and 40,000 in 2022-23) at a cost of around $6.5 billion. As of 31 December 2021, 20,000 (2,500 Level 1, 9,500 Level 2, 10,000 Level 3 and 3,000 Level 4) of the 80,000 additional HCPs had been released.
The Home Care Packages Program Data Report (2nd Quarter 2021-22), was published on Tuesday.
The latest figures, supplied by the Commonwealth Department of Health, show:
- Of the 217,724 people, 198,109 were in a HCP with the remaining 19,615 people assigned a HCP and considering whether to take up their offer;
- The 198,109 people in a HCP at 31 December 2021 represented a 6.2% (11,539) increase from 30 September 2021 (186,570) and a 24.3% (38,770) increase since 31 December 2020 (159,339);
- In the December 2021 quarter, 21,592 people entered a HCP for the first time.
- At 31 December 2021, there were 44,650 people who were seeking a HCP at their approved level, who had not yet been offered a HCP. Of these people, 98.4% (43,942) had been approved for support through the Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP);
- At 31 December 2021, there were 23,779 people who were seeking a HCP at their approved level, who had already been offered a lower level HCP;
- Of these people, 63.3% (15,041) chose to take an offered HCP, 28.1% (6,682) were deciding on whether to take up their offer and 8.6% (2,056) had not taken up their previous offer(s) of a lower level HCP.
- Of the 68,429 people waiting for a HCP at their approved level at 31 December 2021, 99% (67,721) had been provided the opportunity to connect to some form of Commonwealth subsidised home care support.