A crisis is unfolding for older Australians, with a shocking wait time for aged care assessments. This issue is a ticking time bomb, and it's time we shed light on it.
Imagine being in Peter O'Shannessy's shoes, unable to speak or eat after a grueling battle with throat cancer. He was approved for vital home care support, but the reality check came when his family learned they were in a queue of over 121,000 people, with a wait of up to nine months.
And here's where it gets controversial. The government's decision to partially privatize the aged care assessment system has led to this backlog. The system, which was previously managed by state health departments, is now contracted out to private companies, costing over $1.2 billion.
Peter's story is a tragic example of the consequences. When his cancer returned, he urgently needed nursing care, but the reassessment process took too long. His daughter, Eloise Randall, describes the heart-wrenching final weeks of her father's life, where he felt like he was drowning, and her mother, exhausted and burnt out, cared for him alone with no support.
And this is the part most people miss. The government claims a median wait time of 23 days, but the reality on the ground is much different. Families are at their wit's end, with some waiting up to 10 months for an assessment.
Coral Wilkinson, a former ACAT assessor, now helps families navigate this maze, and she believes the system was not prepared for the transition.
But here's an even more disturbing revelation. Some assessment companies have a practice of dropping elderly people off the waiting list if they don't respond to phone calls within a certain timeframe. This means vulnerable older adults could be left without support, often without their knowledge.
The aged care royal commission recommended a single assessment scheme, but not privatization. Despite this, more than half of the contracted companies are also service providers, raising concerns about potential conflicts of interest.
The government maintains that it has robust arrangements to prevent conflicts, but the fact remains that older Australians are suffering.
Peter's family's grief is a stark reminder of the urgent need for change. They fear for the vulnerable elderly who don't have family support to navigate this complex system.
So, what's your take on this? Is the government doing enough to address this crisis? Share your thoughts in the comments, and let's spark a conversation about finding a better solution for our older citizens.
