Home care boost to help seniors
More older Australians will receive care services in their own homes, like cleaning and help with shopping and transport, with a federal government boost of $280 million to the Home and Community Care (HACC) Program.
More older Australians will receive care services in their own homes, like cleaning and help with shopping and transport, with a federal government boost of $280 million to the Home and Community Care (HACC) Program.
More than 516,000 Australians receive help under the $1.1 billion Commonwealth program. Other popular services include personal care, meals and gardening.
Minister for Mental Health and Ageing, Senator Jacinta Collins, said: “Most Australians want to stay in their own homes as they age, and services like transport and cleaning help them maintain their independence. Many of these new services will be available from early next year.”
Service providers can now apply for funding from the 2013 Commonwealth HACC funding round, which is the first round for services offered under the new program. It is an open and competitive process for new and existing service providers.
While the federal government program does not apply in Victoria and Western Australia, organisations in those states can apply to provide services elsewhere.
The invitation to apply for the grants appeared in major national and regional newspapers last Saturday, and applications will close at 2pm local time on Monday, 2 September 2013.
More information about the 2013 Commonwealth HACC funding round, including application forms and supporting materials, is available on the Tenders and Grants section of the Department of Health and Ageing website and on the Australian Government’s GrantsLINK website.
