PRIVATE MEMBERS' BUSINESS
Mr CONAGHAN (Cowper) (13:02): I move: That this House: (1) acknowledges that the Government is failing older Australians with the transition to the new Support at Home aged care program; (2) recognises the widespread criticism from providers, advocates, recipients and their families; (3) notes the: (a) algorithm in the integrated assessment tool is unfit for use and is putting vulnerable older Australians at risk, and is: (i) producing questionable assessment outcomes such as assigning lower levels of support than needed, including for high-needs people, or assessments of ineligibility where there is an obvious need for funding; (ii) being too rigid, with little or no capacity for assessors to override the results despite clear care needs; and (iii) resulting in disputes, reassessments and review processes further delaying access to care; and (b) lack of adequate funding in the 2026-27 budget for additional Support at Home packages to address the long wait times for assessments, approvals and service commencement, which have resulted in unmet care needs for over 200,000 older Australians; (4) further acknowledges concerns that 60 per cent interim funding arrangements are leaving recipients on partial funding for months and months, with limited access to essential services and adequate supports during the transition period; (5) further recognises that the removal of regional loadings and rigid pricing structures may reduce provider viability and limit availability of services in rural, regional and remote communities; (6) calls on the Government to: (a) increase the number of packages and reduce waiting times for assessments and approvals; (b) implement oversight, clinical input, and review mechanisms in the integrated assessment tool; and (c) treat older Australians with the dignity and respect they deserve.
This government's bizarre bureaucratic bungles have led to a systematic failure to provide effective care for older Australians most in need of our assistance. Since the latest 'flick of a pen' changes to My Aged Care were quietly implemented in November of last year, the number of requests for urgent assistance that have been funnelled through my office have increased tenfold, and the severity of the issue within each individual request has escalated along with them.
I say 'quietly implemented' because these disastrous updates came into effect with little to no consultation with providers, recipients or their families. On the My Aged Care website, the following is stated: We are making positive, lasting changes to aged care to put your rights, wishes and needs first. The new Aged Care Act (also known as the new Act) started on 1 November 2025 and puts the rights of older people at the centre of aged care.
The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission and Complaints Commissioner will work with registered providers to ensure they deliver care that upholds these rights. These changes are important for everyone in Australia. We all want to feel confident that we can access affordable, safe and suitable support as we age.
In reality, nothing could be further from the truth. Instead, we've seen a systematic erosion of a system that was designed to provide dignity but now provides anything but. I want to read directly from an email I received from one of my constituents, Stewart Mellor, whose mum sadly passed away last month.
He says: My 89-year-old mother was first assessed in October last year. This involved an assessor coming to our home to ask Mum and I questions about her medical conditions and functional capacity. Mum was in poor state of health, and she needed funding for speech pathology, dietitian and a registered nurse.
A few months after the assessment, I called My Aged Care to find out what was happening. My Aged Care advised they had a backlog of assessments, and it takes on average 8 months to assess applications for funding. I explain to My Aged Care the turnaround time was unacceptable, and my mother and many other elderly Australians would probably pass away before their funding was approved.
On March17th, Mum received classification 5 and was provided with interim funding of only 60% of full funding. This was 6 months after Mum's initial assessment. By this stage, Mum's health had significantly deteriorated, and I asked she be reassessed.
Mum's full funding under classification 5 was never granted. Mum was reassessed due to her declining health and received a classification 8, the highest classification. She was reviewed by a neurologist who stated her life expectancy was 3 months or less.
On May 1st, Mum again received interim funding of 60% of full funding. This was 8 months after Mum's initial assessment. How can only 60% be allocated to someone who is in critical need of support!
Mum's full funding under classification 8 was never granted. On only one occasion did a registered nurse come to our home. Not for treatment, but as part of an assessment.
Mum passed away in hospital on May 3rd due to myriad health conditions. She had no dignity in the last few months of her life. Mum wanted to pass away at home.
She was deprived of that option due to inefficiencies and inadequacies of My Aged Care. Stewart's example is just one of hundreds that I've personally received, yet, in this latest budget announcement, we see a complete lack of adequate funding for the additional Support at Home packages to address the long wait times for assessments, approvals and service commencement which have resulted in unmet care of over 200,000 older Australians.
This can't continue. I call on the government to immediately increase the number of packages and reduce waiting times for assessments and approval. We must also urgently implement oversight, clinical input and review mechanisms in the integrated assessment tool to reverse the disastrous consequences of ill-conceived decisions made in the Canberra bubble.
(Time expired) The DEPUTY SPEAKER ( Mr Wilkie ): Is the motion seconded? Mr Birrell: I second the motion and reserve my right to speak.