The wait times to receive some home care packages (HCP) have tipped out to around 12 months. This has increased significantly in the past year, from about six months in September 2023.

This article described the frustration of the adult daughter in not only having to wait such a long time for her mum’s home care package (HCP) to be assigned, but her belief that the providers couldn’t offer services under the home care package anyway due to a lack of staff.

We discuss the important points from this article and address some of the confusion around accessing in-home help.

In this episode:

• The confusion about what aged care is and what it looks like
• How the wait time for HCPs is determined and by whom
• Priority levels for HCPs and how they work
• Asking for a support plan review/priority review
• Extended wait times force people out of their own homes
• The risk of carer burnout
• Meeting the needs of clients is difficult when there are limits on the number of high priority approvals that assessors can give
• Significant wait times just to get an assessment are not often mentioned
• The financial and emotional toll of waiting for in-home support is huge
• There are problems with having enough workers across the aged care system
• One provider is not the same as the next. Do your research
• Assuming other options are available while waiting for HCPs is not realistic.

Resources mentioned:

• Nine News article - "I've got nobody else": Home aged care lags behind demand.
• Blog – How does aged care work in Australia?
• Blog – How do I refer to My Aged Care?
• Blog – What’s the difference between a RAS and an ACAT assessment?
• Let's Talk Consultation

Related Episodes:

• Episode 3
• Episode 4
• Episode 7
• Episode 16
• Episode 22

Connect with Coral Wilkinson: 

• Instagram 
• LinkedIn 

Follow See Me Aged Care Navigators:

• See Me ACN website
• Facebook
• Instagram

More about Your Aged Care Compass podcast: 

Do you support an older loved one at home and you're ready to give up because it’s just too hard? Your Aged Care Compass is for you.

We're Coral and Michelle, the sisters behind our business, See Me Aged Care Navigators.

Coral is a registered nurse with over 30 years’ experience in both health and aged care. A former assessor with the aged care assessment team, an advocate and author, there’s not much Coral doesn’t know about Australia’s aged care system.

Michelle is a former pharmacist with over 30 years in the public health and private sectors of pharmacy. Michelle is the client care manager for our business. 

Our story started as one of supporting our parents to remain in their own home, to be as independent as possible and remain connected to their community. When we eventually needed extra support, we achieved this because we know Australia’s aged care system so well. We knew what programs could assist us and our parents.

Your Aged Care Compass podcast brings together not only our personal experience in supporting our parents but also our vast professional experience in supporting other families to keep their loved ones at home. 

We'll help you makes sense of Australia’s aged care system and bring you topics related to ageing as well. Legal, financial, health, forward planning and more.

 Your Aged Care Compass will guide you clearly and compassionately to the right support at the right time for your ageing parents and loved ones. 

Like what you hear? Please leave us a rating and review. We’d love you to share this podcast with any friends or family who have older loved ones.