Hospitals buckle as thousands of seniors await aged care placement

Across Australia, thousands of older people are living in hospital beds they no longer need.

Published: 6 December 2025
  • qld
  • 6 December 2025
  • Hellocare

They are medically fit for discharge, yet stuck in limbo because there is simply nowhere else for them to go.

A nationwide shortage of aged care beds, combined with delays in disability accommodation and home care reforms, has created one of the most pressing health and social challenges facing the country.