Minister for Ageing supports community care funding support
The Minister for Ageing, Mrs Justine Elliot, has defended the Federal Government’s support for community care, saying it helped older Australians remain independent and in their homes.
She was responding to comments from the chief executive officer (CEO), at Torbay Retirement Village, a major aged care provider which runs Torbay Hostel at Hervey Bay, who suggested Commonwealth funded community care reduced people going into nursing homes.
Mrs Elliot said: “Community care is about giving older Australians a choice.”
“Older Australians want to remain independent and in their own homes as long as possible, and then have the option of going to a nursing home, if it is needed. It is best to have two strong systems.”
She expressed surprise at the comments, as Torbay Retirement Village received $5.139 million in the previous financial year (2007-2008) from the Federal Government to support 165 places: 29 high care and 136 low care in the Torbay Hostel.
In addition, 10 Community Aged Care Packages (CACPs), were managed from the retirement village, totalling about $130,000.
Over the last 10 years, Queensland aged care providers received the highest level of increases in financial support in the nation, and their level of funding continues to grow under the Rudd Government.
This year (2008-2009), Queensland aged care providers will receive more than $1.2 billion
