The Government will fund that care in full.
I absolutely welcome the change.
But I also can’t get past one thought.
Why did we ever need a reform to decide that helping someone shower is essential care?
When a person reaches the point where they need another human being to help them get dressed, use the bathroom or start their day with dignity, that isn’t a luxury.
It isn’t an optional extra.
It’s care.
I’ve spent years working in disability support, and as Caring Lotus now extends that experience into aged care, one thing feels incredibly clear to me: systems and funding models matter, but we can never allow the system to make us forget the person living inside it.
Because the system might call something a service category.
A family calls it Dad being able to stay in his own home.
A daughter calls it knowing Mum has showered, eaten and is safe while she’s at work.
An older person might simply call it being able to keep some independence.
That is why I think this change matters.
But I also think we need to keep asking harder questions of aged care.
Is support available when someone actually needs it?
Can families understand the system without becoming experts in it?
And while they are waiting for services or funding, who is quietly carrying the load?
Very often, it’s family.
I’ve always believed that when something doesn’t make sense, we shouldn’t simply accept it. We should question it, improve it and find a better way.
Fully funding personal care from 1 October is a better way.
I hope we keep going.
Because ageing with dignity shouldn’t be complicated.
And care should never become something a person has to decide whether they can afford.
