Independent Member for Clark, Andrew Wilkie, and recently widowed Margaret Poulter, discussed the continuing and cruel shortage of Home Care Packages.
“It beggars belief that neither the Federal Government, nor the string of governments before it, has sorted out the chronic shortage of Home Care Packages despite the terrible hardship it is causing tens of thousands of Australians,” Mr Wilkie said.
“Mrs Poulter is the human face of this cruel government penny-pinching. Her late husband was assessed as needing a Level 4 Package in May 2024 and told that he’d have to wait as much as 15 months for the Package. But Mr Poulter was admitted to palliative care on 4 May this year, while still waiting for his Package and, sadly, passed away on 9 May. Mrs Poulter understands that the Package was still months away.
“This is an appalling way to have treated the Poulter family. And it’s not a one-off, with my office regularly hearing about the difficulties facing the countless people left to wallow on outrageous Home Care Packages waiting lists. And all because federal governments are unprepared to give the matter a higher priority and to fund more Packages.
“Along with other members of the crossbench, I have recently written to the Hon Mark Butler, Minister for Health and Ageing, and the Hon Sam Rae, Minister for Aged Care and Seniors, urging them to expedite solutions to this pressing issue (copy attached). But that reform must be fair, especially for people on lower retirement incomes who simply can’t afford to pay any more for their care.”