NSW Government Allocates $7.2 million to Home-Based Care Pilot for Elderly
The NSW Labor government will spend more than $7 million on a pilot that delivers allied-health services at home to help older patients avoid hospital stays.
NSW Labor announced a $7.2 million early-intervention allied-health pilot aimed at easing overcrowded public hospitals by keeping elderly patients at home. Each year up to 330 individuals with chronic or complex conditions will receive home-based physiotherapy, occupational therapy and support from pharmacists, dietitians, speech pathologists and social workers, focusing on mobility, cognition and fall-risk reduction. The program, set to launch in early-2027, will combine home visits, community and virtual care and will manage the transition from hospital to home.
Health Minister Ryan Park warned that patients stranded in hospitals while waiting for Commonwealth aged-care or NDIS placements could rise to as many as 1,700 by June 2027, labeling it a major public-health crisis. While urging the federal government to act, the state is moving forward with its own funding to protect hospital capacity. Pilot locations will be announced later, with participants identified through clinical assessment and referral.
