PDF printable version of $1.03 Million for New Community Care Entry-Point Creates Jobs in Parramatta (PDF 31 KB)
17 July 2008
Joint Release
The Hon Justine Elliot MP
Minister for Ageing
The Hon. Kristina Kineally MP
New South Wales Minister for Ageing
New South Wales Minister for Disability Services
Minister for Ageing Justine Elliot today officially launched the Community Care Access Point in Parramatta, which has created eight new jobs in the area.
The Parramatta Project provides a centralised phone service for people in the Hunter Region who need advice on or access to community care services. The Community Care Access Point Demonstration Project received $1.03million, funded through the Home and Community Care (HACC) program in 2007-08.
“This is a wonderful example of the city and regional centres working together for the benefit of frail older people, younger people with a disability and their carers,” Mrs Elliot said.
“The Community Care Access Point draws together information about all the different types of community care services provided by all levels of government, and helps the caller to work out what local services are right for them.
NSW Minister for Ageing, Ms Kristina Keneally, said the demonstration project will be able to assist frail older people aged over 65 years and younger people with a disability living in the Hunter Region who require information, assessment and referrals to local services for community care.
“Hunter Region residents unsure of what local services exist, what they are eligible for or how to access them, can phone the hotline number,
1300 731 556, and talk to experienced support workers,” Ms Keneally said.
The Community Care Access Point will be operated by the New South Wales Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care and is using latest information technology to distribute information.
“In the first four months, 2800 calls were received by the Community Care Access Point, and 1977 people had their needs assessed and were referred for services,” Ms Keneally said
Mrs Elliot said “community care provides older Australians with the services they need to help them remain as independent as possible in their own homes, such as nursing and personal care, meals on wheels, help with household chores and home modifications.”
Mrs Elliot said the Community Care Access Point is one of 14 demonstration sites to be set up across Australia.
“These sites reflect the whole-of-government commitment to working together to improve the lives of older people and their carers,” Mrs Elliot said.
“This streamlined approach will give people greater choice, access and control over the services they receive.
“We want to remove the complexities and provide better access to the most appropriate care for the needs of frail Australians and their carers,”
Mrs Elliot said that through evaluation, the Access Points would be refined and improved to help determine the best model for a nationally-consistent approach to community care.
Community Care – the facts
The Australian Government will provide $2.2 billion in 2008-09 to community care. This is an increase in funding of $260 million compared with 2007-08. It is the most significant investment in aged and community care ever made by an Australian government.
About 600,000 older Australians and their carers now receive assistance through a mix of services funded by the Australian Government and state and territory governments through the HACC program.
The HACC program will receive more than $1.7 billion in funding from the governments in 2008-09. The Australian Government provides 60 per cent – totalling $1.090 billion of total program funding.
In New South Wales the HACC program is expected to receive $1.75 billion over the next three years to 2010-11, with the Commonwealth to provide more than $1 billion.
Under the new HACC Agreement (July 2007) a bonus pool of $30 million is offered by the Australian Government over three years and is available to those state and territory governments who adopt the common arrangements in community care by 2010-11. . Governments are working with the sector to implement a more consistent approach (known as common arrangements) in entry, eligibility, assessment, planning and fees in all community care programs.
The NSW Government accessed over $1.5 million of a total NSW allocation of $7.55 million in Bonus Pool funds in 2007-08 which can be used to help implement the common arrangements.
Media contact: Minister Elliot's office on (02) 6277 7280
Minister Keneally’s Philip McCall 0438 619 987
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