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Safer at Home is calling on the Federal Government to ensure no one is forced to wait longer than 30 days for the home care package they are assessed to need, by funding an additional 60,000 home care packages in this Budget.

The peak consumer body for older Australians, Council on the Ageing (COTA) Australia, today welcomed the Aged Care Royal Commission’s special report into COVID-19 and called for dedicated funding in Tuesday’s Budget to facilitate increased visits to people living in residential aged care.

The 10 shared principles will help all older Australians get the support they choose, when and where they need it and be treated with dignity and respect, by an aged care workforce that is trained and equipped to provide the standard of care older Australians and their families expect and deserve.

COTA Chief Executive Ian Yates says it’s vital to reduce the waiting times for home care packages, aiming for a maximum two-month wait time after assessment before older Australians can receive the level of care for which they have been assessed.

Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese’s commitment to delivering a national strategy to support older Australians has been welcomed by COTA Australia, as a crucial bipartisan step towards building a better, fairer nation putting the needs of older people above politics

Older Australians want more choice and control over their home care, clear information about fees and quality, and independent advice to help navigate the system, according to new research hailed by COTA Australia as further proof of the need for stronger consumer rights to be built into aged care.