More transition care funding
The Australian Government has begun the process of allocating the second stage of its four-year $293.2 million plan – 400 transition care places for 2009-2010. This builds on the 228 fully-funded Federal places allocated for 2007-2008, bringing the total of new transition care places to 628 and benefiting up to 4,710 older Australians.
Transition care places are about helping older Australians get out of hospital and regain their independence in their own homes. It frees up valuable resources for those needing urgent treatment in State and Territory hospitals. Transition care can be provided for a maximum of 12 weeks either in the client’s own home or in a home-like environment in a bed-based residential setting to help them regain their independence after a hospital stay and return to their homes.
In the Federal Budget, the Government committed $293.2 million over four years to the Transition Care Program, providing an extra 2,000 places on top of the existing 2,000 places for older people after a hospital stay. This complements the previous Government’s 2,000 transition care places which were funded jointly with the States and Territories. The new places are fully funded by the Commonwealth.
