Zali Steggall (Warringah, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The government's response to the final report of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety in May 2021 assured us that 'the respect for senior Australians is, and must be, a national priority,' and yet here we are, with Australia's aged-care system in deep crisis. The lack of access to home-care packages hurts older Australians and their families. Meanwhile, our hospitals will remain overcrowded, our nurses overstretched and our seniors left without the care they deserve.

In Warringah, my office recently met with a nurse who described the heartbreaking practice of so-called 'granny dumping'—families leaving elderly relatives at hospital emergency departments because they cannot access home-care packages or aged care. More and more seniors turn up to emergency departments with non-urgent needs because it is the only way for them to get help. This is exhausting our health system and placing an unsustainable strain on other healthcare workers.

At the centre of this crisis is the lack of home-care packages. The purpose is to ensure that people can stay at home for longer with the care they need, yet today over 121,000 Australians are waiting to be assessed. Another 87,000 have been approved but are still waiting for services. These delays mean older people are forced into residential care too early; remain stuck in hospital beds, blocking access for others with urgent needs; or simply die waiting for help. The government promised 83,000 new home-care packages in July but delayed them until November. Unfortunately, this will not work, and there are no intervening provisions. It will make do for those who have been approved and it puts a short-term dent in the current waitlist, but it does not progress the problem. Too many are dying waiting to be assessed or waiting for packages.

There is no sense economically. It leaves families across so many areas desperate for support. Every day of delay costs lives, dignity and health. In July, I joined David Pocock and crossbench colleagues in calling on the government to act without delay. We wrote to the minister for aged care, urging immediate release of additional packages—some 20,000. This is not just about packages; it is about people, the dignity of older Australians and the wellbeing of their families and communities. We need this immediate release of current home-care packages today, not 1 November, not when it might be convenient. We need to make sure we have the skills and the committed workforce to deliver these services.

I'm urging the government to act. We've seen in question time this week constant delays and, really, bluster from the minister but not real action. It's time for home-care packages to support older Australians.