Boosts to home care in Queensland & Victoria
Older Victorians have welcomed an $18.5 million funding boost which aims to keep elderly and disabled Victorians in home care.
National Seniors Australia has welcomed the news which was announced by the Minister for Ageing, Justine Elliot and Victorian Minister for Seniors, Lisa Neville.
The funding will provide an extra 225,000 hours of care and support through the Home and Community Care (HACC) program.
National Seniors Victorian spokesperson, Arnold Bates, said many older people should be given the choice to age at home.
“We find that many people do not want to go into residential care and instead want to stay at home and have the care come to them,” he said.
“We welcome this announcement by the government and we hope they will continue to fund services to help older Victorians stay at home.”
The HACC program helps seniors, people with a disability and their carers by providing help with home maintenance and modification, transport, meals, personal care and allied health and nursing care.
Queensland
Minister for Ageing Justine Elliot and State Member for Ipswich West, Wayne Wendt, have announced a $672,000 funding boost for HACC services in Queensland.
The Rudd and Bligh Governments will provide $672,000 in funding for 28 organisations throughout Queensland to provider home modification services such as the installation of handrails, ramps, handheld showers and emergency alarms.
This funding boost includes extra support for:
- $150,000 – St Vincent de Paul Society Queensland Home Modification & Maintenance Program;
- $60,000 – Maryborough/Burnett/Cooloola Districts Home Assist Secure;
- $86,800 – Toowoomba Community Housing Service Inc;
- $7,800 – Mt Isa Community Development Association Inc; and
- $7,375 – Far North Queensland Home Assist/Secure.
