Home away from home for older West Australians gives carers a break
The first major allocation of funding to cottage-style respite care will provide increased support to carers of frail older West Australians.
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13 January 2006
JB09/06
The first major allocation of funding to cottage-style respite care will provide increased support to carers of frail older West Australians, the Minister for Ageing, Julie Bishop announced today.
"The funding announced today is for a range of new "cottage" respite services that provide a safe home-like environment for frail older people, which gives their family and carers a break from the work of caring for that person," Ms Bishop said.
Funding of $5.3 million over four years has been approved to 10 providers in Western Australia to enable them to provide cottage-style overnight respite care, as part of a national funding allocation of $59 million.
The West Australia projects include, for example, more than $825,000 over four years to Mandurah Retirement Village to provide respite care from six community cottages in a residential complex in Mandurah.
"With this extra funding, Mandurah Retirement Village will be able to assist carers of frail elderly people, including those with dementia and high care needs, from the south west of Perth," Ms Bishop said.
"The respite care service will be available 24 hours a day, every day of the year, and will also be able to take couples.
"Together, the West Australian projects receiving this funding will provide more flexible and innovative overnight respite care across the state, including some in remote areas where no other respite care is available."
Respite services help support thousands of people to remain at home rather than enter permanent residential aged care.
The extra funding for cottage respite care is part of the 2005 Budget and provides $207.6 million over four years for additional respite support for carers, bringing total funding for the National Respite for Carers program in 2005/06 to $135 million.
Media contact: (Ms Bishop) Murray Hansen 0417 886 155
(Mandurah Retirement Village) Don Pember 08 9535 0301
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