$26m for Qld Home and Community Care services

Older people, people with disabilities and their carers will benefit from a $26 million allocation to expand and support Home and Community Care (HACC) services in Queensland, the Australian Government Minister for Ageing, Christopher Pyne, and the Queensland Minister for Communities, Warren Pitt, said yesterday.

The funds will be used for program development and enhanced service delivery throughout the state. In particular, they will fund services that provide assistance to special-needs groups, such as people with continence management problems, people with dementia, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders.

“Home and Community Care is a central element of the Australian Government’s vision for a world-class aged-care system that delivers high-quality, affordable and accessible care,” Mr Pyne said.

“The Government is providing more than $200 million to the HACC program in Queensland in 2006-07, which will be matched by a contribution of $109 million from the Queensland Government.

“This year’s funding represents an increase of $31 million – including $5 million in indexation and $26 million in additional services and initiatives. This is an increase of more than 11% over funding provided in 2005-06 for the HACC program in Queensland.

“By funding these services we are helping to create caring communities and fulfil the aspirations of older people in Queensland who increasingly seek to live as independently as possible in their own homes.

“For these people, Home and Community Care services provide support and practical assistance and enable older Queenslanders to remain in their own homes for as long as possible.”

Mr Pitt said the funding would provide much-needed services in an area of large and growing demand across the state.

“The record funding is in response to the rising number of frail aged people in our community who need services through the HACC program,” he said.

“More than 400 organisations that provide vital community services to Queenslanders will benefit from a record funding package provided by the Australian and Queensland governments.

“The additional Home and Community Care funds will be used to make many vital services available where they are most needed and in a way that delivers value for money. This will ensure the services benefit as many people as possible,” Mr Pitt said.

The Australian Government is contributing $928.4 million to the Home and Community Care program in 2006-07. With all state and territory governments contributing, more than $1.5 billion is available nationally in 2006-07.