The path through the system, plainly

If you are navigating aged care for someone you love, this section is the same primary-source reporting as the rest of the masthead, translated: what a rating actually measures, what the waits really are, what the rules entitle you to, what things cost. Plain answers first, documents linked, never filler.

For families

The median wait for home care services has doubled to 245 days

The Productivity Commission’s own tables: eight months, typically, from approval to services starting. Where the time goes, who is prioritised, and what you can do while you wait.

18 July 2026