Home Care boost on the way for WA
Older Western Australians wanting to stay at home and within their own communities longer are set to benefit from $2.1 million in additional funding for the state’s Home and Community Care (HACC) program.
Western Australian is set to see a big boost to home care for the elderly (Source: Shutterstock)
The announced funding is part of a $309 million commitment to the HACC program across Western Australia (WA), including $187.9 million from the Australian Government and $121.7 million from the WA Government.
Minister for Aged Care Ken Wyatt and WA Minister for Health Roger Cook say that the funding will help deliver new services, through organisations supporting people who are frail, aged, or have a disability, and their carers.
“This will help extend nursing, social support, respite care, domestic assistance and transport to people across the state, many who without these services, would not be able to continue to live at home,” Minister Wyatt explains.
“This means more older people in WA will be able to receive the care they need to be able to maintain their independence and connection to their communities.”
The funding recipients include; Independent Living centre of WA, Technology Assisting Disability WA, Volunteer Task Force, Alzheimer’s Australia WA, Rise Network, Care Options, and Share and Care Community Services.
Aged and Community Services Australia (ACSA) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Pat Sparrow has welcomed the additional funding, saying that it is recognition of the importance of home care services.
“Each of these not-for-profit organisations [receiving the funding] deliver vital services to communities and individuals across the state and, in doing so, enable many more older Australians to retain independence and community connection,” Ms Sparrow says.
“Older Australians living in rural areas are particularly reliant on the help extended by these vital community services.”
Minister Cook says that more than 74,000 Western Australians rely on home care.
“Community based support is vital,” he says.
“The non-government sector plays a pivotal role in developing and providing these services.”
