Home care quadrupled in the last decade

Between 2013 and 2023, the number of people opting to receive care at home increased more than fourfold – from 57,000 to 258,000 people (357 per cent). Compare this with the number of people using permanent residential care, which saw an increase of 9.5 per cent (from 169,000 to 185,000 people).

The number of home care recipients increased by 57 per cent (almost 27,000) between 2019 and 2020, representing the most significant year-on-year increase.

This is due, in part, to Australia's ageing population, with the number of people aged 65 and over increasing by 32 per cent during this time.