Home Care Packages: the latest news on wait times

There’s one very clear take-out message from the latest news on Home Care Package wait times: if you’re thinking of applying for funding to support you living at home, do it as soon as possible.

The figures, released in September, show that the waiting list has reached a whopping 121,000 people. It’s growing fast: from 88,000 in June 2017 to 108,000 in March 2018, to this new figure as of the end of June 2018.

What does that mean for wait times? According to the Government’s MyAgedCare website, most people will wait more than 12 months for their package to come through. Wait times are slightly shorter for the lower level care packages.

While you can apply for an interim, lower-level care package to tide you over while you wait for your application to be approved, there is also a waiting list for these interim packages – expect 3 to 6 months.

The moral of the story: Start the process of applying for a Home Care Package as soon as you have identified your need for support to stay at home. Remember, even before you get on that waitlist, you’ll need to complete an Aged Care Assessment and an Income and Assets Assessment, all of which takes time. Even if you don’t feel 100% ready for home care now, the likelihood is that by the time it comes through, you will be.