Anne Urquhart (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I wish to inform the chamber that Senator Polley will also sponsor this motion. At the request of Senators Watt and Polley, I move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

  (i) there are 120,000 older Australians waiting for their approved home care package, with many waiting more than two years for the care they have been approved for,

  (ii) there are more than 16,000 older Australians who died waiting for the approved home care package which they were assessed for in 2017-18, and sadly, that was approximately 300 older Australians who died each week in that year waiting for care, and

  (iii) there are around 14,000 older Australians who entered residential aged care prematurely because they could not get the care they were assessed for and approved for in 2017-18, and sadly, that was approximately 200 older Australians each week having no other choice but to enter residential aged care;

(b) further notes that, since 2017, the number of older Australians waiting for home care grew from 88,000 to 120,000; and

(c) condemns the Morrison Government for its inadequate response to the Royal Commission's interim report, and not providing the home care older Australians need.