Thousands of older Australians who want to stay in their homes will get extra support for their meals, transport and home maintenance in a $100 million funding boost.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The two-year funding deal will to go providers of the $5.5 billion Commonwealth Home Support Programme to improve five vital services on which hundreds of thousands of older Australians rely.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Aged Care Minister Ken Wyatt will announce the new money on Tuesday in Western Australia.
"Our ageing population and the evolving needs and wishes of senior Australians are driving an increasing demand for home-based services," Mr Wyatt said.
"Our government is committed to giving senior Australians as many choices as possible to remain living in the security of the homes they love, close to their families and connected with their communities."
The growth areas to be funded include household jobs like cleaning and laundry, general repairs and care of homes and gardens, and modifications such as alarms, ramps and support rails.
It also includes more transport for shopping and appointments and meals at home and in community centres.
About 800,000 Australians get home support, with many of them also on the waiting list for Home Care Packages, which fund elderly people to live at home rather than go into residential care.
Labor says the package will not deliver one new home care package for the 121,000 people on the waiting list.
"While any new money for a sector in crisis is welcome, today's announcement says everything that is wrong with the Liberals' approach to aged care," the opposition's spokeswoman for ageing Julie Collins said.
She said the coalition was trying to distract from the number of older Australians wanting to stay at home with high care needs.
Getting home support does not affect a person's position on the waiting list for a full home care package.
Home support is available to people aged 65 and over, or 50 and over for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
It also includes support services for prematurely aged people on low incomes who are 50 or over and are homeless or at risk of homelessness.
The first new payments to providers will begin in January.
The government recently announced a royal commission into aged care.
AAP