Medically Well Patients Wait in Australian Hospitals for Aged Care Beds

More than 3,300 older patients who no longer require acute medical care remain in Australian public hospital beds while waiting for aged care placement, according to state and territory data. An 80-year-old patient at Townsville University Hospital said she had spent six months in a temporary bed and could no longer walk after losing significant leg muscle mass.

She received voluntary physiotherapy for several weeks but lost access after transfer to interim care.

Health reported 787 medically well patients still in hospital beds and more than 400 others in interim care outside hospitals, including residential aged care homes. Some patients in Queensland have waited more than 1,000 days. Townsville Hospital chief executive Kieran Keyes said interim care patients receive physiotherapy and occupational therapy when clinically required.

A Queensland Health spokesperson stated that support services vary by hospital and depend on regional demand and resource availability.

Department figures show stranded aged care patients cost the public health system more than $3.3 million per day. Researchers estimate older patients lose up to 10 percent of muscle mass per week in hospital. Occupational Therapy Australia representative Christina Wyatt said longer hospital stays raise the risk of preventable conditions and increase future care needs.

Aged and Disability Advocacy CEO Geoff Rowe said supporting patients at home would be cheaper than building new beds. In April the Commonwealth announced funding for 5,000 new aged care beds annually from 2029 for people with limited financial means, though no delivery timeline has been set.

The federal health department did not comment on the current situation.