Our goal is to help you live well, stay connected and maintain independence in the place you feel most comfortable: home.
Advocacy is more than raising concerns. It is about ensuring that the experiences of older Australians, their families, and frontline service providers are heard by the people responsible for shaping policy.
In July, Amelia Smart, our Executive Care and Clinical Services Manager, wrote to the Mid-North Coast’s federal member, Mr Pat Conaghan, regarding lengthy delays in aged care assessments and support plan reviews, and the impact that new client contribution arrangements are having on access to care.
On 6 August 2026, representatives of our Executive team attended an Aged Care Forum with Mr Pat Conaghan and Senator Anne Ruston, Shadow Minister of Health and Aged Care, in Coffs Harbour. We joined other aged care providers from across the Mid North Coast to discuss the growing challenges facing older Australians and the services that support them.
Every day, Carexcell staff work with older Australians who are determined to remain living safely and independently in their own homes. However, many are experiencing increasing care needs while waiting extended periods for reassessments and funding reviews.
As we outlined to Senator Ruston and Mr Conaghan, delays are preventing people from accessing additional support, equipment, home modifications and services that are often essential to maintaining safety and independence.
These delays are not simply administrative challenges. They affect real people who may be experiencing declining mobility, increasing falls risk, deteriorating health, cognitive changes, social isolation, and growing pressure on family carers.
Without timely reassessments, many are left waiting for the support they need while their circumstances continue to worsen.
Carexcell also raised concerns about the practical impact of increased client contributions payable in the Support at Home program. The rise in contribution costs is directly impacting people’s ability to remain independent.
In many cases, older people are reducing, delaying or declining services because they are unable to afford the contributions being asked of them.
To help address this access-to-care issue, Carexcell has introduced a range of contribution-free services. For more information, talk to our team.
These concerns are echoed across the aged care sector. Both industry benchmarking services and the Department of Health and Aged Care’s own reporting are showing a reduction in services being provided to people.
For Carexcell, the conversation is not just about funding models. It is about ensuring that older people are not forced to choose between essential supports and other basic living expenses.
When people delay accessing care, the consequences can include declining health, avoidable hospitalisations and earlier entry into residential aged care. These are outcomes that no one wants to see.
The forum provided an opportunity to share the experiences of clients, families and care providers directly with federal decision-makers.
We want to thank everyone who gave us feedback to take to the forum. Our discussions focused on the sustainability of regional aged care services, workforce challenges, equitable access to assessments and support, and ensuring reforms achieve their intended outcomes for older Australians.
Carexcell appreciated the opportunity to engage directly with Pat Conaghan and Senator Anne Ruston and to contribute practical, frontline insights from communities across the Mid North Coast and Northern NSW.
Meaningful reform requires meaningful consultation, and forums such as this play an important role in ensuring regional communities have a voice.
At Carexcell, advocacy is a core part of delivering quality care. Whether supporting an individual client, working with families, or engaging with government representatives, we remain committed to ensuring Australians can access the services they need when they need them.
We will continue advocating for:
The conversations held in Coffs Harbour were an important step forward, but the work does not end there. Carexcell will continue to work with community leaders, government representatives and sector partners to ensure the voices of older Australians are heard and acted upon.
Please continue to share your thoughts, feedback and suggestions on how aged care in Australia can be improved.