<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/aged-care" rel="" target="" title="Aged care"><span>Aged care</span></a><span> advocates fear an incoming sector shake-up means new fees for at-home assistance could force older </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/australia" rel="" target="" title="Australians"><span>Australians</span></a><span> to cut out important services.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>From November 1, Aussies accessing Support at Home will pay nothing for clinical care including nursing, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, continence support and nutrition.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>But non-clinical care and support, such as cleaning, shopping and showering, will incur new fees based on the participant's income.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/toolooa-fatal-house-fire-charges-murder-gladstone-queensland-news/bb389c85-26aa-4156-a6f4-e604d7be8634" target="_blank"><strong><span>Woman charged with murder after mother, boys die in house fire</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>People already on a Home Care Package will be exempt from the new rates and will continue paying the same flat fee.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Dealing with ongoing challenges following a car accident, Liz Barton, 76 recently became in need of help around the home after husband Eric suffered a stroke.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"You think that ageing will be a slow process but in fact it can be quite abrupt due to a sudden health issue," Barton said.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/federal-politics-aged-care-reform-at-home-assistance/5f89a208-bd8f-4b31-b2a0-d2767d955455" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"So I'm going to need some kind of cleaning, home supports, that kind of thing."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>But they're likely to be waiting months for government-assisted home care, and will be paying more.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The aged care advocate fears the changes could have dangerous health impacts on vulnerable community members.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"They will end up doing without medication, they will end up doing without showers, without necessary supports because they simply won't have the money," Barton said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Under the new charges, pensioners will pay five per cent of the full price of independence-based services such as showering, transport, self-administered medication and home safety modification.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/dezi-freeman-search-taskforce-to-take-over-manhunt-porepunkah-mount-buffalo-victoria-crime-news/0aaecc4d-293a-4d1a-809d-0af5759dc0af" target="_blank"><strong><span>Specialist taskforce to take over search for Dezi Freeman</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Part-time pensioners will be charged between five to 50 per cent and self-funded retirees will pay the full 50 per cent.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>When it comes to daily living assistance like cleaning, shopping, meal prep, gardening and home maintenance, pensioners will pay 17.5 per cent, self-funded retirees 80 per cent and part-time pensioners somewhere in between.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"There is a tsunami of co-payments about to rain down on older people," Greens spokesperson for older people, Penny Allman-Payne, said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"We know that the impacts on older people of not being able to access the care that they need are catastrophic."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Aged Care Minister Sam Rae says the changes will help older people "get the support they need to stay at home for longer".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>But shadow health minister Anne Ruston labelled Rae's comments "a cruel hoax".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The government has absolutely dropped the ball when it comes to making older Australians aware of the implications of these changes," Ruston said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/how-to-follow-9news-digital/29855bb1-ad3d-4c38-bc25-3cb52af1216f"><em><strong><span>DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP</span></strong></em></a><em><strong><span>: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather 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