5 December 2024
MEDIA RELEASE
Government called on to boost funding for technology to deliver home care revolution for older Australians
The federal government needs to boost funding for technology in home care packages if it is serious about allowing older Australians to age at home to take pressure off hospitals and aged care facilities, a NSW consortium of industry, university and government partners say.
The Healthy@Home consortium say technology such as a smart watch, phone or ring could take pressure off hospitals and aged care facilities.
Wearable devices can track and report lifestyle and biometric data, such as activity data and blood pressure readings, and trigger preventative and urgent alerts about falls and seizures to family members and carers. The consortium includes five NSW universities, healthcare providers, local health districts, and the NSW Smart Sensing Network.
The recommendation comes as the federal parliament passed major changes to the aged care system to alleviate the demands of Australia’s rapidly ageing population. The changes mean residents who have the means will pay more for in-home care. The federal Minister for Aged Care, the Hon Anika Wells MP, said the once-in-a-generation reforms acknowledge older people want to stay in their own homes for longer so they can remain healthy, active and socially connected.
The aged care system’s new Support at Home program includes an Assistive Technology and Home Modifications scheme which will give participants access to between $500 and $15,000 of assistive technology and/or home modifications from 1 July 2025.
“The current lowest level of funding for assistive technology in the federal government’s home care packages – $500 – falls woefully short of what is required,” NSW Smart Sensing Network Human Health Lead Catherine Oates Smith says. “A smart watch costs upwards of $300, then you need an internet plan. We want the Assistive Technology and Home Modifications scheme’s lowest funding tier increased so that more older Australians can live independently with dignity and improved quality of life.”
The consortium’s call comes after their release of the preliminary results of an Australian-first survey of 1000 older Australians, their family and carers attitudes to technology-supported care in the home. The survey found close to nine out of 10 family carers or older people in the survey thought smart-sensor technologies in the home should be funded via a home care package or other type of government assistance. The survey was funded by Maridulu Budyari Gumal, the Sydney Partnership for Health, Education, Research and Enterprise (SPHERE).
Professor Jason Prior from the UTS Institute for Sustainable Futures says the Australian-first survey made clear that older Australians want to use technology to stay home as long as possible, but more research is needed.
“The findings from the recent survey suggest most older Australians and their carers are willing to use smart sensor technology to stay at home longer, but further research is still needed to better understand the types of technologies they use and their cost,” Professor Prior says. “This will allow government, carers and older Australians to better plan for a future in which our growing and ageing population can lengthen the amount of time they age in the comfort of their homes.”
In October, the UK’s NHS announced it was handing out smart watches and wearable tech to millions of people under a 10-year plan to help people stay healthy and out of hospital.
Professor Paul Eggleston from the University of Newcastle’s FASTLab says it’s important the federal government appropriately invest in smart technologies so that older Australians can stay at home as long as possible.
"The message from Australians like 84-year-old Bev is clear: they want smart technology to help them stay in their homes longer, live healthier lives, and feel safer,” Professor Eggleton says. “This isn’t just about convenience - it’s about dignity, independence, and easing the strain on our health system. Appropriate investment in smart technologies will enable our parents and grandparents to live the quality of life we’d all want for them.”
The Healthy@Home consortium includes UTS, University of Newcastle, NSW Smart Sensing Network, UNSW, Macquarie University, Tyree Foundation Institute of Health Engineering, Central Coast Research Institute, Central Coast Local Health District, InteliCare Holdings Limited, South Western Sydney Local Health District, South Eastern Sydney Local Health District, Tunstall Healthcare, HammondCare, United For Care, NSW Meals on Wheels, Greater Cities Commission, Medical Technology Association of Australia, Aged Care Industry Information Technology Council, Hills Corporate, Vlepis Pty Ltd, D&M Research Pty Ltd, My Medic Watch, Independent Health Consumer Leader Harry Iles-Mann.
ENDS
About us:
The NSW Smart Sensing Network (NSSN), a consortium of eight leading universities across NSW and the ACT, is a not-for-profit innovation network that brings together universities, industry and government to translate world-class research into innovative smart sensing solutions that create value for NSW and beyond.
Contact details:
Media contact:
Diane Nazaroff, Media & PR Manager, NSW Smart Sensing Network, 0424 479 199, diane.nazaroff@nssn.org.au.