Imagine this: Your loved one, weakened by illness, desperately needs care, but the system designed to help them seems to be failing. This is the heartbreaking reality for many older Australians struggling to access timely aged care assessments. Peter O'Shannessy's story is a stark example of the challenges families face. After undergoing extensive surgery for throat cancer, the 74-year-old was approved for a level-three home care package, including a recliner, suction machine, and personal care. But here's where it gets controversial: he was forced to join a national queue of over 121,000 people. The estimated wait time? A staggering seven to nine months.
Sadly, Peter's condition worsened. When the cancer returned, he was declared terminal, needing urgent nursing care. His family sought a reassessment, hoping to expedite the process. Eloise Randall, Peter's daughter, recounts the agonizing wait, spending countless hours on the phone, pleading for help. The reassessment was scheduled for eight weeks in the future. Tragically, Peter passed away four weeks before his appointment.
Peter's story highlights a deeper problem: the strain on the aged care assessment system. For decades, Aged Care Assessment Teams (ACATs), based within state and territory health departments, conducted these assessments. However, in December of last year, the government partially privatized the system, a move costing over $1.2 billion.
But this is not the only problem. The latest figures reveal that over 116,000 individuals are currently waiting for aged care assessments across the country. Coral Wilkinson, a former ACAT assessor, now assists families in navigating this complex system. She says many are calling her in tears, desperate for help, with some waiting nine or ten months for an assessment.
One of the most concerning practices, according to Janine Mason, a former clinical assessor, is the pressure to complete assessments quickly. She believes the focus on speed is dehumanizing the process. She also claims that elderly people are being dropped from the waiting list if they don't respond to phone calls in time, sometimes after only three attempts.
And this is the part most people miss... The Royal Commission on Aged Care Quality and Safety, in its 2021 report, recommended streamlining assessments but did not recommend privatization. It also emphasized the importance of assessments being conducted by individuals independent of care providers to avoid conflicts of interest. However, the ABC has revealed that over half of the companies contracted to provide assessments are also service providers or related to them.
The government claims to have robust arrangements to prevent conflicts and has set a dozen KPIs, including that 90 percent of urgent assessments should be done within 10 days. However, the Department admitted that it would not be enforcing these KPIs for approximately 12 months after the establishment date.
Eloise Randall's words capture the pain of this situation: "I really despair for the number of vulnerable elderly Australians in this country who have no access to support or someone coming in to check on them."
What are your thoughts? Do you believe the privatization of aged care assessments is a step in the right direction? What changes would you like to see in the system to better support our elderly population? Share your opinions in the comments below.
