Quality of home care providers for older Australians under fire

Federal Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care Ken Wyatt yesterday announced the nationwide rollout of 10,000 new high-level home care packages.
 
‘Along with the extra 20,000 packages funded in the past year, this will see a 40% increase in people receiving home care packages,’ he said.
 
This funding increase is badly needed in the aged care sector. The waiting list for home care packages has blown out to almost 127,000, resulting many older people waiting more than a year to receive care.
 
However, while many older Australians may be pleased to see a reduction in waiting times, the quality of the service providers themselves is now under question.

An ABC report revealed that 14 home care providers have been served non-compliance notices in the past year, and three others sanctioned, for failure to meet the home care standards. There have also been complaints from consumers of price gouging and pushy sales tactics.
 
Ian Yates, Chief Executive of Council of the Ageing, told the ABC that an explosion of providers since 2016, plus a lack of transparency in the industry, had resulted in some unscrupulous practices and behaviour. However, he was pleased that home care providers were under scrutiny by the Federal Government and would also be answerable to the upcoming royal commission into the sector.
 
‘What happens in [the home care] space is just as important as what happens in a bedroom in a residential care facility,’ he said.
 
Minister Wyatt promised strong action against non-compliant and inadequate providers.
 
‘I have no sympathy for those that have been sanctioned because they know what’s expected of them and we will weed out those people,’ he said.
 
‘I think we will be seeing more who will be sanctioned.’

aged care home care packages Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety