Older Australians facing health and hospital risks because Labor’s care at home program is ‘so badly designed’, expert warns

Former adviser to aged care royal commission says delays in expanded services will raise risk of falls, medication errors and malnutrition

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The federal government’s new program to care for elderly Australians at home is so poorly designed it will fuel demand in already overstretched public hospitals and residential facilities, a leading expert has warned.

Kathy Eagar, a former adviser to the aged care royal commission, says delays in expanded services announced earlier this year will exacerbate declining independence and capacity for vulnerable people. It will also increase the risk of falls, medication errors and malnutrition, she said.