Polish elderly lose Government help
Victoria’s Polish community has criticised the Federal Government’s decision to revoke funding to the Community Partners Program (CCP) for Polish older persons living in Melbourne. The main aim of the CCP is to promote and facilitate increased and sustained access to aged care support services by culturally and linguistically diverse communities with significant aged care needs. Despite the fact that the Polish community in Victoria and Australia has the second highest number of older persons aged 75 or more amongst Australia’s ethnic groups, $60,000 in funding has been withdrawn.
Elizabeth Drozd, chief executive officer of the Australian Polish Community Services (APCS), said the decision had been the most unjust and unreasonable one made over her 15 year involvement with the Polish elderly in Victoria.
It took the APCS six years to obtain access to this Commonwealth-funded program (known under a different name), and the funding stopped after a mere18 months.
