Dying Australians Struggle to Access Vital Home Care Support

Australia's broken aged care home support system is ensuring that loved ones live and die without dignity. Alan Nicolle was already approved for urgent aged care supports, but delays and confusion under a 'Kafkaesque' system made his final days exhausting and painful.

Dying Australians approved for government-funded aged care home support are struggling to access it, with carers describing a system plagued by delays and lack of control around how funding is spent. The accounts of carers and aged care assessors spoken to by Guardian Australia show that beyond the controversial, algorithm-driven assessment process for home care funding, many are left without adequate and timely support even after funding has been approved.

One carer, who asked not to be named, said their mother waited over a year to receive the home care package she had been approved for, leaving the family to pay out of pocket for private care in the meantime. "It was just a constant battle," they said. "The system is so broken, it's Kafkaesque."

Another carer, Vanessa, described the frustration of watching her father-in-law struggle to navigate the system in his final months. "He was just so confused and exhausted by it all," she said. "He deserved so much better than that in his last days."

The Home Care Packages Program, which provides government-funded care and support services for older Australians to live independently at home, has long been criticized for its complexity and delays. A 2021 royal commission found the program was "beset with unacceptable access issues" and "not fit for purpose."

Aged care assessor Samantha Jones said the system is incredibly difficult to navigate, with endless bureaucratic hurdles for families already dealing with the stress of a loved one's declining health. "By the time they get the support they need, it's often too late," she said. "It's heartbreaking to see."

The Morrison government has pledged to overhaul the home care system, including reducing wait times and improving transparency around funding. But for many families, the changes can't come soon enough. "My dad deserved so much better," said Vanessa. "No one should have to go through what we did."