Living Well Expo Connects Coffs Harbour Residents to Community Services

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3 September 2009

Minister for Ageing, Justine Elliot, today officially opened the Living Well Community Information Expo in Coffs Harbour.

The expo had more than 80 exhibitors helping people living in Coffs Harbour and the surrounding regions connect with the community services they may need.

The Rudd Government funds community care programs for older Australians who would prefer to remain living in their homes, rather than moving into residential care.

Minister Elliot said: “We are constantly reminded that as people age they want to remain independent and in their own homes and communities.

“Community care provides people with that choice and convenience,” Minister Elliot said.

This financial year the Rudd Government will provide more than $2 billion in funding for community care services.

These services include:

• Community Aged Care Packages (CACPs) - provide services such as personal care, social support, home help, meal preparation and transport;
• Extended Aged Care at Home (EACH) packages - which provide the full range of services that CACPs provide plus clinical support such as from registered nurses, and allied health professionals; and
• Extended Aged Care at Home Dementia (EACHD) packages – which provide the full range of services that EACH packages provide plus services to meet the specific needs of care recipients with dementia.

In the latest Aged Care Approvals Round (ACAR) an additional 25 CACPs worth more than $323,000 and an additional five EACH packages worth an estimated $216,000 were allocated to the electorate of Cowper.

This builds on the existing 1,541 residential aged care places, 477 CACPs places, 76 EACH places and 35 EACHD places worth more than $67 million each year.

The Australian and NSW Governments will also provide joint funding of $586 million this year for the Home and Community Care (HACC) program in NSW. This program helps frail older people, younger people with a disability and their carers remain independent and in their homes by providing them with support and assistance.

Minister Elliot said: “Home and Community Care services deliver affordable and accessible care to help meet the individual needs of older people, and their carers.

“Each year more than 223,000 people in New South Wales are provided with help with household chores, home maintenance and modification, transport, meals, personal care and allied health and nursing care through the Home and Community Care program.

“Without Home and Community Care services, such as Meals on Wheels, many people would have to move prematurely into residential care.

The Coffs Harbour Living Well Community Information Expo bought together staff from government agencies, health care centres and other service providers, including representatives from Centrelink, the Commonwealth Respite and Carelink Centre and the Coffs Harbour Aged Care Assessment Team.

For more information, contact Mrs Elliot's office on (02) 6277 7280

 

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