Discover how delayed promises force older Australians to wait for essential home aid
- Replies 4
The golden years should be a time of comfort and security, but for many older Australians, the reality is proving to be quite different.
The Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP), a government initiative designed to assist seniors in living independently at home, is currently under significant strain.
The result? Lengthy delays that leave many waiting months, or even over a year, to receive the help they've been promised.
The CHSP aims to provide support with everyday tasks such as cleaning, gardening, and installing safety handrails.
However, the demand has far outstripped the supply, leaving eligible seniors like Mike and Sue Willett from Encounter Bay, South Australia, in a lurch.
After Mike's series of falls, the couple was approved for cleaning assistance in December 2022. Yet, they found themselves unable to book a cleaner due to providers either lacking funding or staff.
For over a year, the Willetts, and many like them, have had to manage on their own, struggling with tasks that pose a risk to their safety.
‘It was that bend and push … which both of us had difficulty with,’ Sue shared.
When they finally received cleaning help in February, it was a relief, but their challenges with the CHSP didn't end there.
Approved modifications to their home, such as adding a shower rail, came with a six-month waiting period.
Faced with immediate needs, the Willetts paid nearly $1,000 out of pocket for something that would have cost about $130 under the program.
‘It's not much point in offering them to anybody if they know that, in fact, the funds aren't there,’ Sue expressed.
Unfortunately, their situation is not isolated.
Independent MP Rebekha Sharkie's office receives around ten complaints weekly about the program. Seniors are reportedly either attempting these tasks themselves, which can be dangerous or relying on non-family members for help.
Craig Gear, Chief Executive of the Older Persons Advocacy Network, highlights the risks involved when seniors wait weeks or months for assistance. The delays can lead to early moves into residential care because it becomes unsafe to live at home without support.
Mr Gear stated: ‘When you intervene early, and you intervene with some of these low-cost, low-impact services, it actually keeps people functioning longer, it keeps them connected and keeps them in their community.’
‘If we don't intervene early, we don't maximise people's function, and then that means people deteriorate in their function, and they probably end up needing high levels of services, or they may need to move into residential aged care.’
The CHSP is intended to be a stopgap measure until higher support through a Home Care Package becomes available.
However, with capacity limits, individuals like Sarah Solly's father are left in a 'pretend buffer' state, where service providers are too underfunded or understaffed to offer assistance.
The Solly family had to spend thousands on a ramp to facilitate her father's return home from the hospital.
Despite the challenges, the Department of Health and Aged Care assured that urgent services are prioritised to keep seniors safe at home.
They acknowledge that the time between being recommended a service and accessing it is 'highly variable’. The average national 'elapsed time' is 23 days, but this does not reflect the experiences of those like the Willetts or the Sollys.
Aged Care Minister Anika Wells, through a spokesperson, indicated that additional funding for CHSP is a budgetary decision.
Since 2019-2020, funding has increased from $2.6 billion to $3.08 billion, with an extra $110 million available for providers to apply for from October.
However, aged care consultant Paul Sadler argued that this spending is not keeping pace with the demand, as many CHSP services have closed their books.
‘Many CHSP services have got their books closed at the moment,’ he claimed.
‘There simply isn't enough investment from the government going into CHSP, which means that the growth of the program has not kept pace with the ageing of the population,’ he added.
Have you or someone you know faced similar delays in receiving CHSP services? How did you manage the situation? Share your stories and tips in the comments below.
The Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP), a government initiative designed to assist seniors in living independently at home, is currently under significant strain.
The result? Lengthy delays that leave many waiting months, or even over a year, to receive the help they've been promised.
The CHSP aims to provide support with everyday tasks such as cleaning, gardening, and installing safety handrails.
However, the demand has far outstripped the supply, leaving eligible seniors like Mike and Sue Willett from Encounter Bay, South Australia, in a lurch.
Mike and Sue Willet experienced delays in CHSP support. Image source: Freepik
After Mike's series of falls, the couple was approved for cleaning assistance in December 2022. Yet, they found themselves unable to book a cleaner due to providers either lacking funding or staff.
For over a year, the Willetts, and many like them, have had to manage on their own, struggling with tasks that pose a risk to their safety.
‘It was that bend and push … which both of us had difficulty with,’ Sue shared.
When they finally received cleaning help in February, it was a relief, but their challenges with the CHSP didn't end there.
Approved modifications to their home, such as adding a shower rail, came with a six-month waiting period.
Faced with immediate needs, the Willetts paid nearly $1,000 out of pocket for something that would have cost about $130 under the program.
‘It's not much point in offering them to anybody if they know that, in fact, the funds aren't there,’ Sue expressed.
Unfortunately, their situation is not isolated.
Independent MP Rebekha Sharkie's office receives around ten complaints weekly about the program. Seniors are reportedly either attempting these tasks themselves, which can be dangerous or relying on non-family members for help.
Craig Gear, Chief Executive of the Older Persons Advocacy Network, highlights the risks involved when seniors wait weeks or months for assistance. The delays can lead to early moves into residential care because it becomes unsafe to live at home without support.
Mr Gear stated: ‘When you intervene early, and you intervene with some of these low-cost, low-impact services, it actually keeps people functioning longer, it keeps them connected and keeps them in their community.’
‘If we don't intervene early, we don't maximise people's function, and then that means people deteriorate in their function, and they probably end up needing high levels of services, or they may need to move into residential aged care.’
Older Australians would attempt to do the chores themselves due to delays in support. Image source: Freepik
The CHSP is intended to be a stopgap measure until higher support through a Home Care Package becomes available.
However, with capacity limits, individuals like Sarah Solly's father are left in a 'pretend buffer' state, where service providers are too underfunded or understaffed to offer assistance.
The Solly family had to spend thousands on a ramp to facilitate her father's return home from the hospital.
Despite the challenges, the Department of Health and Aged Care assured that urgent services are prioritised to keep seniors safe at home.
They acknowledge that the time between being recommended a service and accessing it is 'highly variable’. The average national 'elapsed time' is 23 days, but this does not reflect the experiences of those like the Willetts or the Sollys.
Aged Care Minister Anika Wells, through a spokesperson, indicated that additional funding for CHSP is a budgetary decision.
Since 2019-2020, funding has increased from $2.6 billion to $3.08 billion, with an extra $110 million available for providers to apply for from October.
However, aged care consultant Paul Sadler argued that this spending is not keeping pace with the demand, as many CHSP services have closed their books.
‘Many CHSP services have got their books closed at the moment,’ he claimed.
‘There simply isn't enough investment from the government going into CHSP, which means that the growth of the program has not kept pace with the ageing of the population,’ he added.
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