$2 million for employed carer respite in NT
Additional funding of around $2 million over four years will be provided to expand respite care in the Northern Territory specifically to assist employed carers looking after older people.
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7 February 2006
SS003/06
Additional funding of around $2 million over four years will be provided to expand respite care in the Northern Territory specifically to assist employed carers looking after older people.
The Minister for Ageing, Senator Santo Santoro, today announced funding for two projects in the Territory to support the complex respite needs of people balancing caring and paid work, including those caring for people with dementia.
The Territory funding is part of $65 million provided to expand respite care for employed carers of frail older people across Australia from January 2006.
"This is the first significant Australian Government funding for this type of respite care. These projects will provide flexible respite care for employed carers that is responsive to the needs of both the carers and the people they care for," Senator Santoro said.
"The extra services funded by this measure will make a big difference to carers who also want or need to work.
"Carers who help older people, usually family or friends, are making a great contribution to our community, but should also be supported in earning an income. Thanks to their efforts many people are able to stay in their own homes instead of being forced into residential care," he said.
Frontier Services, Respite Options for Senior Territorians (ROSTS) in Alice Springs will receive $538,636 over four years to establish the first community respite centre for employed carers of the frail aged in the region. Located on the campus of Old Timers Village, the respite centre will provide emergency nursing care and day therapy, and will cater for the special needs of care recipients, including culturally sensitive care of Indigenous Australians.
The other project to be funded is Carers NT’s Community House in Darwin, which will receive around $1million over four years.
The 2005-06 Budget provided $207.6 million over four years for a variety of respite care to build on the government’s current investment in supporting carers.
Media contact: Bob Pounds (02) 6277 7820 or 0408 612 603
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