Home care packages delayed as staff shortages ravage aged care sector

The new packages, largely welcomed by the sector, are being progressively released over two years to mid-2023. But the actual delivery of services approved and funded by the government is being compromised by ongoing staffing shortages.

Aged and Community Services Australia, an industry peak group, says it has received anecdotal reports that staff shortages in home care are now so severe that services simply cannot be provided to some people entitled to care in their own home.

The latest government data shows that, despite the new funding, the total number of home care providers has actually decreased in the past year, down 1.8%, or 17 providers.

The data also shows 68,429 people had been approved for a home care package but are still waiting for that package to be provided at the level they were approved for. That is a reduced, but still significant, number of people who are in need that are not receiving adequate home care services.

ADA Australia, a Queensland-based advocacy service for older Australians, said it was receiving complaints about delays to the rollout of new home care packages and about the difficulty in attracting and retaining staff for providers.

Chief executive Geoff Rowe said earning a living wage in home care was a much more complex proposal, given the nature of the work, which required multiple blocks of a small number of hours of care.

The government provided $338.5m to expand, train and upskill the aged care workforce in the last budget.

The spokesperson also said the decrease of providers overall, reflected in the latest data on home care, was due to the strategic acquisition of providers under the umbrella of larger organisations.

Sadler said the industry would be working on a home care workforce recruitment, training and retention program with the federal government.

Meanwhile, in residential care, workers across five providers have voted to take industrial action, raising the prospect of strikes during the election campaign.

The United Workers Union said on Tuesday that the providers collectively employed 7,000 workers who had voted overwhelmingly to take industrial action. Three more ballots are due in the next week.