The release of the latest data on the Turnbull Government’s home care packages has revealed close to 105,000 vulnerable older Australians are waiting for care.

The waiting list has grown by almost 15,000 since the home care package reforms were introduced just over a year ago.

This waiting list includes close to 82,000 older Australians waiting with high needs, many with dementia.

The data was quietly released on a Friday afternoon, just days after the Department of Health refused to release it in Supplementary Estimates.

The figures show almost 20,000 older Australians in Queensland are waiting for a package.

The Government’s changes to the home care package, as part of the Living Longer Living Better reforms, were meant to put older Australians at the centre of their care, meaning that older people in Ipswich and the Somerset Region could make decisions based on their needs, rather than having the decision made for them.

With wait times blowing out, and increasing numbers of older Australians joining the queue for care, it is clear the Government needs to act now.

The Turnbull Government is failing the task of caring for older people in Ipswich and the Somerset Region, with no solutions to deal with this growing crisis. 

Labor has repeatedly called on the Turnbull Government to fix this crisis as the waiting list and waiting times continue to grow. 

Older Australians waiting for a home care package deserve better.