The Liberal MP for Gray, Tom Venning asks Sam Rae:

My question’s to the Minister for Aged Care in my electorate a 90-year-old constituent who suffers from Parkinson’s disease has been told it will be up for 12 months before he receives a home care package. His daughter has to give up her permanent job as a teacher to care for him. As a result of Labor deferring the commencement of home care packages from 1 a vulnerable 90-year-old Australian is suffer forget too long.

Will the minister expediate as an immediate priority the delivery of this man’s package before it is too late?

Rae:

This is clearly an important case to the member and to the community.

I acknowledge the difficulties being experienced by people such as the member’s question refers to, and if you can provide me with – the member can provide me with the details I’ll personally follow up as a matter of urgency to see what can be done.

Stories like this remind us exactly why our reform program is so important. Our general reforms will deliver aged care of the highest quality for older generations, the people who have given so much to our country and who deserve nothing less than the very best care

Central to this is the support at home program which will make it possible for older people to live independently at home for longer with higher levels of care available close to family and in their communities.

With an ageing population demand for home care packages has been growing very fast. Today we have more than 300,000 Australians receiving a home care package, that’s double the number from about five years ago.

As I have said before, we are delivering more care to more Australians than ever before. From 1 November, support at home begins we will make available more than 80 new home care places in the first 12 months of support at home.

Until then, my number one priority is making sure that older Australians continue to receive services with why packages are being released every single week to people who need them the most. Right now more than 2,000 new packages are being allocated each and every single week.

And I can assure the House that anyone and everyone assessed as high priority for the clinical assessment process will continue to receive their package within a month. Mr Speaker, this short deliver and delay to commencing the new Aged Care Act is about ensuring the program’s like support at home are fully ready for older Australians and their families.

Now, from 1 November we will deliver the extra packages. We will ensure that those people who are currently receiving home care continue to receive that home care and we will continue to work across the parliament to make sure older oftens receive the very best care they point can.