Helen Haines (Indi, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

No-one was surprised; everyone was appalled. That was the universal response to the aged-care royal commission's interim report, titled simply Neglect. Its findings were nothing new. The commissioners recommended more home care packages to reduce the waiting lists for higher-level care at home. One hundred and twenty thousand people are on that waitlist. In the Hume region alone in my electorate, there are 948. Those are our mothers, fathers, partners and friends waiting patiently to receive what the government has agreed to give them and, while they wait, their health deteriorates, their families suffer burnout and they are hospitalised as there is simply no other way to get them care.

In October the commissioners called for immediate funding. Instead the government promised funding before Christmas, and today we hear the government will release 10,000 new level 3 and 4 packages. I'm delighted with this good news, but what of the other 110,000 people? At this late stage, even if Santa Claus himself delivered these packages, there's a strong chance they will remain under the tree as the challenge of operationalising them in the holiday period will take a Christmas miracle.

Government officials say $2 billion to $2.5 billion per year is needed to get people care within three months. Today's announcement committed only $496.3 million. This is only a fraction of what's needed. I encourage the government to commit the money and clear the waitlist.

Ian Goodenough (Moore, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Increased funding of residential aged care and home care services for our senior citizens remains a priority within my community. There is a level of unmet need as our population ages, and families are faced with long waiting lists. As at 30 June 2019 there were 444 residential aged-care places funded in my electorate with a further 16 short-term restorative care and 121 transition-care places, bringing the total number to 581 places. In monetary terms, during the 2018-19 year $31.6 million was allocated to residential aged care and $17.2 million for home care services in Moore. A further $511,000 was made available for short-term restorative care, $8.6 million for transition care and $3 million for the Commonwealth Home Support Program.

I draw the attention of parliament to the growing need for residential-care and flexible-care funding in the northern suburbs of Perth, which is a region of rapid population growth. Local families require improved access to aged-care services and facilities to meet their individual care needs and financial circumstances. Forward planning is required in order to have sufficient resources available.