Australia’s Home Care Package system is under immense strain, with tens of thousands of older people waiting months for vital support.
✨ Who’s Waiting?
🔹 Around 90,000 people have been approved for a package but are still waiting.
🔹Another 120,000+ people are waiting just to be assessed.
This means many are left without the help they urgently need at home.
✨ Why the delay
Approving and assigning 83,000 Home Care Packages now, only to transition those recipients into the new Support at Home program in November would significantly increase administrative complexity and workload for the government.
For people with medium priority, wait times vary by package level. On average, those approved for a Level 1 package wait around 6 months, sometimes up to 9 months. Level 2 recipients typically wait 6–9 months, with delays up to a year, while Level 3 packages often take 9–12 months. The longest delays are for Level 4, where many older Australians wait 12–15 months, and in some cases even longer.
For high-priority cases, the wait times are much shorter across all package levels (1–4): High-priority packages are generally assigned within 1 month of approval.
✨ The Human Cost
These delays aren’t just numbers. Older Australians are getting sicker, being admitted to hospital unnecessarily, or moving prematurely into residential care. In the worst cases, people are dying before receiving the support they were promised.
✨ What’s Next?
The government plans to launch the Support at Home program in November, with 80,000 new packages and a $4.3 billion investment. But many experts warn this will not ease the immediate crisis and are calling for more urgent action.
Home Care wait times are not just a statistic. For thousands of older Australians, they mean stress, decline, and loss of independence.
At Gratitude Home Care, we believe that trust, transparency, and genuine care are the foundation of great support.
Call us today on 1300 912 155
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Additionally, connect with us on:
📞 1300 912 155
📧 info@gihc.com.au
Get in touch with Support at Home specialist at Gratitude for more information about your Support at Home options: