Significant Number of Older Australians Left Waiting for Aged Care Packages in the Hunter

New data has revealed the Hunter-Newcastle region is in the top five regions nationally for the number of older Australians left waiting for aged care packages that have already been approved.  

The data, provided in response to questions in Senate Estimates, showed that 3,400 people are awaiting home care packages in the Newcastle-Hunter region – second only to the South East Sydney region in New South Wales.

Federal Member for Newcastle Sharon Claydon said home care packages are a critical part of supporting older Australians with complex care needs to live independently in their own homes.

“Home care packages give older Australians support with daily tasks and provide caring services at home. They are often the difference between living an independent life at home and moving into a residential aged care facility,” Ms Claydon said.

“It’s natural that people want to stay in their own homes as long as possible, especially in the face of COVID-19. But without the right support, this can’t happen.”

Ms Claydon said the news compounds the damage inflicted when the Morrison Government excluded aged care organisations in the Newcastle Hunter region from applying for growth funding under the Commonwealth Home Support Program.

“This news just adds insult to injury after the Newcastle-Hunter region was one of four regions in New South Wales that were deemed ineligible for growth funding under the Commonwealth Home Support Program, which also offers services to older Australians living in their own homes.    

“When I wrote to the Minister on this matter, he had no answer to my questions as to why our region was abandoned, instead warning that ineligible organisations have no right to appeal because departmental decisions ‘are final’.”

Ms Claydon called on the Morrison Government to rectify the situation.

“The Newcastle-Hunter region has a higher median age than the national average but this isn’t reflected in the aged care investment we’re receiving. This isn’t good enough.

“It’s time for the Morrison Government to deliver the investment in aged care that older people in the Newcastle-Hunter region need and deserve.”

Transport, Employment Concerns of Older Novocastrians

BY LAUREN FREEMANTLE

A new report from the NSW Council on the Ageing has identified employment as a key area of concern for Newcastle residents over the age of 50.

Residents of Charlestown, Lake Macquarie, Newcastle, Swansea and Wallsend took part in one of 18 statewide focus groups, with most admitting they are concerned about securing jobs and interviews or being forced into early retirement.

"Generally people who find themselves unemployed at 50 are likely to be unemployed until retirement age," Council CEO Meagan Lawson explained.

"That obviously has far-reaching impacts on their standards of living and ability to rent or pay off mortgages," she continued, "that continues into retirement..."

Ms Lawson said local infrastructure and transport were also areas highlighted for improvement.

"They're worried about getting around - so the privatisation of bus services in Newcastle, as well as poorly constructed footpaths were identified as a big issue."

Older Novocastrians also expressed their concerns over the increasing digitisation of public information, with details of things like community events moving online.

Finally, the surveyed group said they'd like to see medical staff given extra training on how to communicate effectively.

For more information, visit the COTA website.

Aged care crisis leaving Novocastrians in the lurch

BY LAUREN FREEMANTLE

Federal Member for Newcastle, Sharon Claydon has addressed parliament about a looming crisis in the aged care industry which will affect Hunter residents.

100,000 older Australians are waiting to access home care packages they've already been approved for, including 80,000 with high care needs or dementia.

NSW has the longest waiting list in the country, which is only set to get worse in the future.

Sharon Claydon said it's despicable one Novocastrian man was forced to call her office to discuss the issue after receiving no response from the government.

"My office is getting harrowing calls about the implications of these waiting lists," she said, "I've had one gentleman contact me who was just at his wit's end. 

"He'd done everything he could," Ms Claydon continued, "after waiting a year for a high-level care package to become available for his 90-year-old mother - he had nowhere else to turn to." 

The MP said the Novocastrian man's story was just one of many families struggling to look after their elderly members. 

"The government needs to understand the very real human consequences of their inaction...they've been marked down as a 'fail, fail, fail' in my view," she said.

Ms Claydon spoke on the issue in parliament yesterday, and was surprised to see no government ministers listed to address the matter during proceedings. 

However, the Minister for Aged Care, Ken Wyatt, happened to be in chambers at the time and responded to Ms Claydon's address. 

"Regretfully, the Minister's response was that it's a complex issue," the MP explained, "...well that is your job. That's your portfolio...you've sat on the news of waiting list times for aged-care in-home packages for 12 months.

"Only now have you bothered to share that news with the public." 

Sharon Claydon said the government's response to the 100,000 people waiting was to release 6000 additional places. 

"That's not even a drop in the ocean," Ms Claydon affirmed.

The Member for Newcastle in her address to parliament yesterday.