$4.3 Million More for Home and Community Care in Tasmania
Older Tasmanians will receive more support to stay in their homes thanks to a $4.3 million boost to the Home and Community Care Program.
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Joint Release
The Hon Mark Butler MP
Minister for Mental Health and Ageing
Minister for Social Inclusion
Minister Assisting the Prime Minister on Mental Health Reform
Michelle O'Byrne MP
Minister for Health
18 May 2012Older Tasmanians will receive more support to stay in their homes thanks to a $4.3 million boost to the Home and Community Care Program.
The funding boost brings total planned expenditure on HACC services in Tasmania for this year to $63 million.
The Gillard Labor Government is providing more funding, for more services, to more older Australians than ever before.
Mr Butler said the funding would provide services such as domestic assistance, personal care, social support, respite, and support for volunteers and carers.
“These are the services that older Australians tell me they need to remain independent in their own homes and communities and close to family and friends,” Mr Butler said.
The Australian Government is contributing almost $45 million and the Tasmanian Government more than $18 million to the HACC program in Tasmania.
“Whether it’s short term support to help people get back on their feet after a fall or an illness, or long term permanent support, we’re delivering care and support that suits the individual and evolving needs of older Australians,” Ms O’Byrne said.
Ms O’Byrne said that among those organisations provided with additional funding were:
- Baptcare – $105,000 to expand existing day centre services in North Western Tasmania.
- Lifeline – an additional $218,000 to expand the CHATs Program in to North and North Western Tasmania.
- Anglicare – an additional $1,005,000 to provide extra hours of domestic assistance, and personal care across the state.
In addition, one-off allocations have been approved, including:
- Family Based Care North West – $170,000 to undertake a one-off project to assist people living in squalor.
- Stanhope Healthcare - $80,000 to deliver 1,970 additional hours of personal care.
- Volunteering Tasmania - $90,000 to undertake research on the impact of ageing on volunteerism in Tasmania.
The Gillard Government is continuing to make significant investments in the Home and Community Care Program.
As part of the Living Longer Living Better Aged Care reforms, $75.3 million is being invested to establish a new national Commonwealth Home Support Program which will bring together existing basic home support services. A further $880.1 million is being provided to increase the number of Home Care packages by nearly 40,000 to 100,000.
“By 2050, over 3.5 million Australians will access aged care each year with around 80 per cent of the services delivered in the community. Our aged care reforms and the significant investment we’re making will ensure the system keeps up with the needs and preferences of older Tasmanians,” Mr Butler said.
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Minister Butler: Virginia Kim, 02 6277 7280
Minister O’Byrne: Ben Wild, 0459 801 969
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