Aged care wait time data needs to be clearer

Published 27th June 2026

There are calls for the department to more regularly release wait times data, with a need for distinction between different categories of people waiting to access aged care.

The latest number of people waiting for Support at Home services is 100,191 people, and an additional 98,606 people waiting for an assessment. Industry concerns seem to be less about how many people are waiting, and more about how long people are waiting.

"The only way you fix that for the people who have been assessed for a package is by releasing more packages, and the only way you sort that for people who are waiting for an assessment is doing more assessments" says Tom Symondson, CEO of Ageing Australia.

There are further concerns about if phone based assesments are resulting in appropriate levels of care packages, or impacting wait time for delivery of sevices.

Source:
Natasha Egan, 2026, https://communitycarereview.com.au/2026/06/25/wait-time-data-needs-to-be-clearer-says-symondson/?utm (https://communitycarereview.com.au/2026/06/25/wait-time-data-needs-to-be-clearer-says-symondson/?utm_campaign=CCR%20-%20Overall%20Publication%20-%20Master&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8h-WF14HNbNx1oIiFikJbhTC3HpW4TDrkIqsm8vNcv9OvZAYgq6o1iLfM6Ap7hV_xJSOjjR54xckrN8XDIcUG1GE8O2Q&_hsmi=425464852&utm_content=425464852&utm_source=hs_email)