After 25 years working as an optometrist, I never imagined I'd end up as an aged care provider. But when I began caring for my in-laws, I saw first hand the barriers and frustrations that older Australians face just to stay healthy and independent at home.

That personal experience changed the course of my career and it's why I am speaking out today.

The government's new rules around the new Support at Home Program, while aiming to improve aged care services, risks doing the opposite. Under the new rules, seniors will be asked to pay more out of their own pockets for essential non-clinical support. For many, it will mean abandoning a home care package altogether.

Home care was designed to keep people safe, supported and out of hospital. If affordability becomes the deciding factor, the e

See Full Page