Minister Tours Balcatta Nursing Home Expansion – More Aged Care Beds for WA
The Federal Minister for Ageing toured the major expansion of the Stirling Ethnic Aged Homes Association’s, ‘MyVista’ aged care facility in Balcatta, Western Australia on 22 April.
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22 April 2009
The Federal Minister for Ageing, Mrs Justine Elliot today toured the major expansion of the Stirling Ethnic Aged Homes Association’s, ‘MyVista’ aged care facility in Balcatta, Western Australia.
The new 62-bed purpose-built aged care wing which officially opens next month would bring the total number of beds at the complex from 42 to 104 and employ an additional 67 staff taking the number of employees from 33 to 100.
During the construction phase, the complex employed the equivalent of 38 workers full-time – totalling more than 140,000 hours of employment.
The association has been offered an additional 110 Australian Government-subsidised aged care places, and a $13.2 million Zero Real Interest Loan - one of the Federal Government’s election commitments for future development of the facility.
Mrs Elliot was in WA as part of the Rudd Labor Government’s Community Cabinet program.
Mrs Elliot said:” WA received the largest allocation of Zero Real Interest Loans in the nation – targeting areas of high need under the Australian Government’s first stage ($150 million) of the $300 million plan.”
WA received $46.6 million in loans to create 347 new beds in WA.
“The Zero Real Interest Loans initiative has provided a direct boost to aged care in the West,” Mrs Elliot said.
Stirling Ethnic Homes Association is a non-profit community organisation. It was formed in the early 1990s by six ethnic clubs.
Mrs Elliot said: “It is encouraging to see the Stirling Ethnic Homes Association showing leadership in providing aged care.
“The Rudd Government is committed to providing record numbers of aged and community places in Australia as this nation has one of the world’s longest life expectancies, for both men and women.”
“The ongoing work at this site will continue to be benefit local communities by providing work and generating income in the construction sector,” Mrs Elliot said.
In 1992, the Association received capital assistance from the Commonwealth totalling $1.9 million to assist in the cost of constructing the original 42-bed Stirling Ethnic Hostel low care residential aged care home.
Ageing in Western Australia
Overall, as a jurisdiction, Western Australia has a life expectancy for both men and women of 79.2 and 84 years, respectively.
Western Australia has 173,317 people over the age of 70, comprising 8.2 per cent of its population and that is expected to increase to 292,109 by 2020, comprising 10.8 per cent of the population.*
Population Projections for Western Australia population 70+
Year | 2007 | 2010 | 2015 | 2020 |
Population 70+ | 173,317 | 191,616 | 230,954 | 292,109 |
Per cent of population | 8.2 per cent | 8.5 per cent | 9.3 per cent | 10.8 per cent |
*Based on 2006 census
Residential aged care funding in Western Australia
Over the next four years, the Australian Government will provide record funding and support of more than $2.4 billion to Western Australia’s 251 approved residential aged care homes operating 14,252 places. In addition, there are 4,016 community care packages.
And in 2008-2009 alone, Western Australian aged care providers will receive record funding of $547 million for residential care – an increase of 8.5 per cent over the previous financial year.
No Australian Government has invested more in aged and community care in Western Australia.
For more information, contact Mrs Elliot's office on (02) 6277 7280
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