Thousands of older Australians are being forced into residential aged care and hospital as they endure months of waiting for much-need in-home care, a new report has found.

The Anglicare Life on the Wait List report found that the wait list for care and support services has surged to 68,000 which is double what it was just one year ago and older Australians are now facing waits of up to 15 months from their initial registration with My Aged Care before receiving services at home.

The report surveyed aged care providers and also discovered:

• There is surging demand for care at home, especially for domestic assistance and equipment.
• None of the aged care providers surveyed could meet demand for home support in their communities.
• Funding constraints were the biggest barrier to meeting demand.

Anglicare Australia’s Acting Executive Director Maiy Azize said that given the findings, “the Government’s funding boost for care at home can’t come soon enough”.

“The wait list for care has ballooned to 68,000, double what it was just one year ago. People are facing excruciating waits to get the care they’re entitled to – time they simply don’t have,” Azize said.

“Some are 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.

“These Australians are eagerly awaiting the Government’s new Support at Home program. We congratulate the Government for taking action that is so badly needed. When the new program begins in July next year, it will be a game changer for older people across the country.”

While it’s hoped the new Support at Home package will alleviate growing wait times and provide older Australians with the care they need, Azize has called on the Government to ensure there are adequate support packages available to clear the backlog.

“With such a massive waiting list on the books now, we need to make sure people who have already been waiting for too long can get the help they need. We’re calling on the Government to release enough Home Care Packages to clear the wait list in its next mid-year Budget update,” Azize said.

“That will set the new system up for success, stopping it from inheriting a rapidly growing wait list before it even starts. And it will stop older people from spending more time they don’t have waiting for care without any other support.

“This is a critical investment that will help more older Australians get the care they need, when they need it, where they need it.”

The Support at Home program is a key part of the Government’s $5.6 billion aged care reform package, set to launch in July 2025.

The package aims to help Australians live independently at home with assistance before entering aged care. Over the next decade, it’s estimated that 1.4 million people will benefit from the program, with the government committing $4.3 billion to its rollout.

The Support at Home program will offer essential services, including clinical care such as nursing and assistance with everyday tasks such as cleaning, showering, and dressing.

The long-awaited reforms are expected to put “the ‘care’ back into aged care” according to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

“Older Australians built this country, shaped our economy, did the hard yards. They embody the strength and the spirit of our nation,” he said.

“Our government is working to ensure that the aged care system that supports them is stronger now and sustainable into the future.

“Reforms like this do not happen every day. They are once-in-a-generation, and my Government is proud to deliver them, as we said we would.”