Aged care funding flowing through
Older people across Australia will receive better aged care services with additional funding for services starting to flow from 1 July, Minister for Ageing, Justine Elliot, has said.
“We believe older Australians deserve better. Better health services and better aged care services and that is why we are getting on with the job of reforming our health, hospitals and aged care system,” she said.
Additional funding will flow for:
- Increased financial incentives to GPs to provide services to residents of aged care facilities;
- An additional 651 transition care places to help older people to regain their independence following a hospital stay;
- Additional services through the roll-out of 1,600 subacute beds or bed-equivalents;
- Better support for aged care workers undertaking training through the Government’s $60 million Aged Care Education and Training Incentive Program; and
- A $10 million funding boost for rural and remote community aged care providers.
Older Australians and their families will also have greater control over the design and delivery of the community care and services they receive through the introduction of Consumer Directed Care packages.
Also introduced is the new Continence Aids Payment Scheme which will increase choice and flexibility for people with severe incontinence.
The Aged Care Complaints Investigation Scheme will also receive additional funds.
An additional 651 transition care packages are now available as part of the Government’s commitment to provide an additional 2,000 transition care places by 2012.
The allocation of new transition care places by state and territory is as follows:
- New South Wales 222
- Victoria 163
- Queensland 126
- South Australia 58
- Western Australia 59
- Tasmania 15
- Australian Capital Territory 8
