More than 200,000 left waiting as aged care delays worsen—how long will this go on?

Every month, thousands of older Australians wait for home care packages that may never arrive.

For some, that wait stretches into years, ending not in comfort at home but in a hospital bed—or worse.

Families are left watching loved ones slip further from independence while politicians argue over numbers.

A damning Senate inquiry released this week branded Australia’s aged care waiting lists a ‘calculated denial of services’ that could prove fatal, with more than 200,000 seniors left in limbo.

The report warned that waiting lists were not only growing but were the product of deliberate rationing, with the former Inspector-General of Aged Care forecasting numbers could exceed 102,000 by October 2025.

As of January 2025, over 81,000 older Australians were already stuck on the National Priority Waiting List, facing average delays of six months—up from five months just three months earlier.

The inquiry, chaired by the Greens, said the consequences of these waits were devastating.

It described the delays as a ‘calculated denial of service through waiting lists’ that caused ‘significant and life-altering consequences for older Australians. These consequences can be fatal.’

The Aged Care Royal Commission had earlier called such wait times ‘cruel and discriminatory,’ warning that many seniors would die before receiving the support they needed.

The pressure has not only fallen on families but also on hospitals, which are increasingly being forced to fill the gap.

In 2022-23, older Australians waiting for residential aged care used hospital resources at a rate of 13.2 patient days per 1,000—totalling 438,779 patient days.

That meant hospitals were effectively doubling as aged care facilities by default.

For many, the promise of home care has become a cruel mirage.

Seniors with medium priority who applied in January 2025 faced waits of 3-6 months for Level 1 packages, while those needing Level 4 support were told to expect 12-15 months.

By September 2024, wait times for Level 4 packages were the highest seen since October 2021.

The scale of the problem was stark: 121,596 people were still waiting for an assessment, more than 87,000 had been assessed but were waiting for their package, and over 289,000 were receiving home care packages.

The government’s long-promised Support at Home program, originally due in July 2025, has now been pushed to November.

Aged Care Minister Anika Wells said the new system would replace Home Care Packages from 1 July 2025 and eventually reduce wait times to three months by July 2027.

She promised 83,000 new packages by July 2026, including 40,000 before the end of this year.

But advocacy groups and senators remain sceptical.

Independent senator David Pocock dismissed the three-month pledge as ‘good marketing,’ pointing out there was no legal requirement to achieve the target.

Adding to the anger was the Senate inquiry’s warning that new co-payments could leave pensioners paying up to half the cost of services such as personal care.

For some, that could mean $50 for a single shower.

Labor senators downplayed the risk, saying only those with financial means would be asked to contribute, but for many seniors already battling rising costs, any extra fees felt like a fresh barrier.

In the meantime, thousands of Australians cannot afford to sit idle.

Interim options such as the Commonwealth Home Support Program, private services, or using superannuation and home equity are keeping some afloat.

Seniors are urged to stay organised by keeping contact details updated with My Aged Care, checking current wait times on 1800 200 422, and researching providers once their letter of allocation arrives.

Others may have to consider lower-level packages temporarily or look to permanent residential care, with government data showing 96,000 people on the waitlist had already been approved for it.

The issue has become a political battleground.

The Coalition accused the Albanese Government of failing to fund enough packages in the 2024-25 Budget, noting they had delivered 80,000 in their last two years and cut waits to just 30 days.

Minister Wells hit back, saying: ‘That’s what happens when you have an aged care sector in crisis and neglected for the nine long years it was. We are bringing it out of the brink.’

Greens senator Penny Allman-Payne went further, accusing Labor of deliberately rationing services and ensuring ‘people die on waitlists without the care they need.’

The Royal Commission had explicitly warned against rationing, yet that is what families see unfolding today.

Council on the Ageing’s acting CEO Corey Irlam called the government’s figures ‘misleading at best,’ while the 2025 Productivity Commission confirmed every part of the system was straining under demand.

Whether the Support at Home program can deliver relief remains to be seen.

For now, hundreds of thousands of seniors continue to wait, hope, and fear what tomorrow might bring.

If you’ve been following the challenges of aged care waiting lists, you’ll know how overwhelming the delays can feel when support is urgently needed.

This isn’t an isolated problem—many people are finding themselves stuck in similar situations, caught between promises of reform and the reality of long waits.

One story takes a closer look at just how severe these delays have become, and what that means for those still waiting for help.

Read more: Thousands of seniors face long delays for government home care support

Losing access to essential care can feel like losing a lifeline—what would it mean for you or your family to wait more than a year for help?