Lisa Darmanin (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I, too, would like to take note of the discussions and comments around reforms to aged care and the Support at Home packages. Our aged care certainly is no longer fit for purpose, which is why this government is undertaking once-in-a-generation reforms to ensure that older Australians receive care with dignity, safety and compassion. With bipartisan support, we passed the new Aged Care Act last term, and we are now just two months away from implementing it on 1 November.

As we know, these reforms will deliver high-quality, respectful aged care in a system that is sustainable. That is about making sure that older Australians are at the centre of their care both now and into the future. Our population is ageing, and it is heartbreaking to hear of Australians passing away while waiting for care. My thoughts, and I know the thoughts of all senators in this chamber, are with every family who has lost a loved one in those circumstances. That is precisely why our aged-care forms are so urgent, so that people can access quality care in their own homes faster.

Regarding the national priority system waitlist, as of 31 March, 87,597 people had been approved for a homecare package through the clinical assessment process and were on the NPS list. The government continues to allocate an average of more than 2,000 homecare packages every week. And, importantly, those assessed as high priority continue to receive their package within one month. In fact, the average since September last year was 2,700 packages per week.

It's important to understand that assessment for broader aged-care services is a different process to package allocation. We acknowledge that while the waiting times are still long we are actively working to improve them. Due to our population ageing, demand has surged. Last year alone, more than 521,000 home support and comprehensive assessments were completed. Today more than 300,000 older Australians are receiving homecare packages, and only a portion of those people waiting for an assessment will end up on the NPS waitlist. This list includes those seeking lower-level care, and some duplication across systems. As Senator McAllister said in answer to a question earlier, 99 per cent of people who are waiting for a package at their approved level are already receiving support, through either a lower-level package or the Commonwealth Home Support Program. The median wait time for an assessment is now 25 days from referral to support plan and continues to reduce, thanks to the new single-assessment system.

Regarding the importance of the Support at Home program, Support at Home will help deliver more than 107,000 packages in the next two years, and it is the largest number of homecare packages ever released. Why is it important that we, rightly, focus on Support at Home in particular? It is because ageing at home is preferable to ageing in a residential facility. Everybody wants to age in dignity, in their own home, within their own communities, close to their loved ones, their friends, their families, their groups. This is especially important for elderly community members from non-English-speaking backgrounds, who want to be connected to those around them who they are most familiar with and to the places they know, the healthcare facilities, the doctors, the community groups, and the providers who work with them in their own homes, in their own communities. And what goes with quality care in their home? It is not just the services being provided but the workers who provide those services.

This government has delivered $15 billion for pay increases to the workers in the aged-care system, because pay is inextricably linked to quality services and to Support at Home. I want to give a shout-out to all the dedicated and skilled Support at Home workers across the country, particularly those who deliver through local government in Victoria, who have been recognised for their skilled work by the increased funding delivered by this government. (Time expired)