When people can’t access aged care support early, the consequences can be significant
Last week, ADACAS CEO Wendy Prowse attended the National Press Club for Inspector-General of Aged Care Natalie Siegel-Brown’s final address. What the Inspector-General shared matched the concerns ADACAS advocates have been working on recently, and what we hear from older people and their families.
In her address, the Inspector-General warned that “We need to be brave enough to let go of what look like short‑term savings – being the delays and barriers we have built into home care and community support.”
ADACAS advocates often hear from older people and their families in the ACT who are worried about delays in getting support. These delays can have significant consequences for their health and wellbeing, lead to hospital stays that could have been avoided, cause loss of independence, and result in early entry into residential aged care.
Our advocates work alongside older people who may have sought assistance when they notice changes in their health or daily functioning. Too often, they are told they are not eligible for support yet or that their future needs cannot be assessed. By the time they become eligible for assistance, many have already worsened, even though early support could have prevented it. Siegel-Brown said, “When people receive the right support earlier, decline slows. Fewer people reach crisis. Fewer people need residential aged care, and when they do, they need it later.“
Our data from the first half of 2026 shows that concern about both affordability and access are increasing.
Cost-related issues were identified in 23.3% of Support at Home transition cases, 15.79% of Residential Aged Care Home cases, 7.69% of new Support at Home cases, and 4.6% of Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP) cases. For many pensioners, the challenge is not just financial hardship, but also concerns about ongoing costs and managing tight household budgets.
Access and service provision remain significant barriers. In the first six months of 2026, ADACAS recorded access and provision issues in 56% of CHSP cases and 50% of new Support at Home cases. These problems include gaps between what people need and what providers can offer, long wait times, and trouble getting help early enough to stop things from getting worse.
The Inspector-General said, “Eventually, the system does respond. But when it does, it does so at far greater cost. Long wait-times and long waitlists are deferred costs, with a higher bill.” Our experience supports the Inspector-General’s sentiment. Waiting to provide care does not save money; it often leads to crises, more complex needs, and earlier entry into residential aged care.
At ADACAS, we will continue working alongside older people to uphold their rights, navigate the aged care system and advocate for timely access to the support they need.
You can find the full transcript of Inspector-General of Aged Care Natalie Siegel-Brown’s address to the National Press Club here: https://www.igac.gov.au/what-we-do/speeches/math-aint-mathin-australia-funding-independence-or-decline
