Life on the Wait List looks at how long older Australians are going without care and the barriers providers face in meeting their needs.
We find that some people are being forced to wait so long that their condition worsens, and they get pushed into residential care before they’re ready. Others end up in hospital as they try to cope with daily life without the help they need.
This report is based on surveys of Anglicare Australia aged care providers covering metropolitan and regional areas of the following jurisdictions:
- New South Wales;
- Victoria
- Western Australia;
- Tasmania
- Queensland; and
- South Australia.
Our findings show that none of our agencies are able to meet demand for home support in their communities. The biggest barrier to meeting this demand is funding.
Life on the Wait List calls on the Government to take urgent action to clear the wait list for home care, and ensure that its upcoming aged care reforms stand the best chance of success.