Last year the government introduced its "once-in-a-generation" aged care reforms , promising older Australians that they could stay at home longer and have choice, control and dignity in their care.
But less than a year in, families, assessors, clinicians and aged care experts say the system is failing.
Eight years ago, Four Corners exposed abuse, neglect, and suffering in residential aged care facilities. That investigation, led by reporter Anne Connolly, helped trigger the royal commission into aged care. Anne now takes on the new ‘Support at Home’ system, travelling the country to speak with families struggling to care for their loved ones while waiting to be assessed and receive critical funding.
The investigation unpacks the cornerstone of the government's new reforms — a secretive and controversial algorithm which decides how much funding someone receives. Insiders say the algorithm often gets it wrong — with experts warning that the policy meant to fix aged care could actually cost both the elderly and the taxpayer.