Rising Costs for Senior Australians: Increased At-Home Care Fees Effective Next Week

Starting November 1, Australians utilizing the Support at Home program will not be charged for clinical services such as nursing, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, continence management, and nutritional support.

However, fees will be introduced for non-clinical assistance, including tasks like cleaning, shopping, and personal care, with amounts determined by the recipient’s income.

Those who are already benefitting from a Home Care Package will not see any changes in their current rate and will continue to pay the established flat fee.

Liz Barton, 76, who has been navigating the aftermath of a car accident, recently found herself needing additional home support following her husband Eric’s stroke.

“You expect aging to be a gradual process, but it can suddenly accelerate due to unexpected health events,” Barton remarked.

“So I’m going to need some kind of cleaning, home supports, that kind of thing.”

But they’re likely to be waiting months for government-assisted home care, and will be paying more.

The aged care advocate fears the changes could have dangerous health impacts on vulnerable community members.

“They will end up doing without medication, they will end up doing without showers, without necessary supports because they simply won’t have the money,” Barton said.

Under the new charges, pensioners will pay five per cent of the full price of independence-based services such as showering, transport, self-administered medication and home safety modification.

Part-time pensioners will be charged between five to 50 per cent and self-funded retirees will pay the full 50 per cent.

When it comes to daily living assistance like cleaning, shopping, meal prep, gardening and home maintenance, pensioners will pay 17.5 per cent, self-funded retirees 80 per cent and part-time pensioners somewhere in between.

“There is a tsunami of co-payments about to rain down on older people,” Greens spokesperson for older people, Penny Allman-Payne, said.

“We know that the impacts on older people of not being able to access the care that they need are catastrophic.”

Aged Care Minister Sam Rae says the changes will help older people “get the support they need to stay at home for longer”.

But shadow health minister Anne Ruston labelled Rae’s comments “a cruel hoax”.

“The government has absolutely dropped the ball when it comes to making older Australians aware of the implications of these changes,” Ruston said.