Wedderburn Aged Care

09/09/2026

AFTER 15 years of fighting for an aged care solution, Wedderburn wants the State Government to help older residents remain in the community they call home.

08/09/2026

The world has reached a major demographic turning point, with people aged 65 and over now outnumbering children under five globally.

The shift reflects falling birth rates and longer life expectancy, and is expected to reshape everything from healthcare and pensions to the size of the future workforce.

07/09/2026

AUSTRALIA AGED CARE CRISIS DEEPENS: 3,600+ PATIENTS STUCK IN HOSPITALS AS SOME WAIT MORE THAN 1,000 DAYS FOR CARE

SYDNEY — Australia’s aged care crisis is placing growing pressure on public hospitals, with more than 3,600 patients stranded in state hospitals waiting for Commonwealth-funded aged care placements despite being medically ready to leave.

The national total has climbed from more than 2,700 in mid-2025 to more than 3,600 in mid-2026, according to figures released by state and territory health ministers. Queensland has the largest number at 1,272, followed by NSW with 1,027, South Australia with 476, Western Australia with 423 and Victoria with 302. (NSW Government)

Queensland’s broader delayed-discharge problem is even larger. Queensland Health says more than 1,400 people are clinically ready to leave hospital but remain because appropriate aged care or disability support is unavailable. Fifteen patients have been ready for discharge for more than 700 days, while one patient has spent more than 1,000 days in hospital waiting for the right supports. (Queensland Health)

The consequences extend well beyond aged care.

Health ministers warn that when medically cleared patients cannot be discharged, hospital beds remain occupied, elective surgery is delayed and emergency department patients can wait longer for admission. (NSW Government)

The pressure is also being felt in the community. The federal government says about 100,000 people are currently on the official Support at Home waiting list, while an ABC investigation found almost 154,000 Australians were waiting for some or all of their approved in-home aged care funding under the previous counting method. (Department of Health and Ageing)

Federal Health Minister Mark Butler acknowledged the issue is “very serious”, pointing to unprecedented demand from an ageing population and saying the Commonwealth is investing in more home-care packages and new aged-care facilities. He has previously said Australia needs roughly one new aged-care facility every three days for the next 20 years to meet future demand. (Department of Health and Ageing)

States and territories are pressing Canberra for faster delivery of aged-care beds and more Support at Home packages, arguing that public hospitals were never designed to become long-term substitutes for residential aged care.

For thousands of older Australians and their families, the issue is not simply about hospital capacity.

It is about dignity.

People who no longer need hospital treatment are still waiting days, months — and in some cases years — for somewhere appropriate to go.

19/08/2026

14/08/2026

A long-time ABC reporter is one of nearly 100,000 Australians waiting on a crucial aged-care assessment.

14/08/2026

The Government has good reason to be nervous ahead of next Monday night's Four Corners. Anne Connolly, whose previous investigation into aged care helped set the scene for a Royal Commission, is back examining the new Support at Home system, including concerns about the algorithm deciding how much support older Australians receive.

Link: https://hellocare.com.au/four-corners-is-coming-for-aged-care-again-and-this-time-it-is-the-algorithm-in-the-spotlight/

13/08/2026

Don’t miss Four Corners on the ABC Monday night at 8.30pm it is focusing on aged care - should be interesting!
The aged care sector is in crisis with bed shortages and people dying waiting for home care packages which will affect everyone in the long term.

23/07/2026

347 days. That's how long the average person waits for Support at Home services to begin...

If you're in the queue right now, here's something worth knowing: once you're approved, you'll only have 56 days to choose and sign with a provider.

Don't wait for the letter to start researching. Use the time you have now so you're not scrambling later.

Read our full article, link below 👇
https://agedcaredecisions.com.au/support-at-home-wait-times/

16/07/2026

Insightful observations from Natalie Siegel-Brown at the National Press Club today about the failures in our aged care system design. 'The Math Ain't Mathin" The aged care budget is weighted towards crisis and dependence, whereas pivoting that ratio to focus on preventing decline and timely supports to keep people at home would save billions. A must watch - catch up on ABC iview - https://iview.abc.net.au/