COOLIBAH BOOST FOR DEMENTIA CARE
Friday, 20 January 2012
Local member of Federal Parliament Gary Gray today announced details of a $2.5-million zero real interest loan to Coolibah Total Caring in Mandurah from the Federal Government’s latest Aged Care Approvals Round (ACAR).
“I’m pleased to say that Coolibah Total Caring has been successful in obtaining funding to support ten new dementia care places,” Mr Gray said.
“This is an important area of aged care and we’re fortunate that Coolibah Total Caring is working to provide this support in our community.”
Coolibah Total Caring CEO Don Pember welcomed the funding that will help to establish a larger dementia care wing and for the support Mr Gray gave in the application for new places and the interest free loan.
“We’re delighted to have received the support we need to go ahead with plans to increase our dementia wing from 11 beds up to 30 beds,” Mr Pember said.
Across Australia the latest round of approvals has funded 9,657 new aged care places, including 7,933 residential care places and 1,724 community care places, worth an estimated $368 million a year.
Minister for Mental Health and Ageing, Mark Butler noted that, of the more than 10,000 residential care places advertised across Australia, less than 8,000 have been allocated, reflecting the fact that many regions across the country were under-subscribed.
“While the allocation of more than 9,600 new aged care places across Australia is very welcome, this is the fourth ACAR round in a row in which residential care places have been under allocated. This means that not enough beds are being built today for the increasing number of older Australians tomorrow,” Mr Butler said.
“A number of regions across Australia were under-subscribed, and some regions received no applications for residential care places at all.”
“The result of this year’s ACAR highlights the importance of the Gillard Government’s aged care reforms,” Mr Gray said.
“It is clear to me that there are continuing pressures on our aged care system and that they are only going to become more acute as Australia’s population continues to age. People aged 80 years and over currently make up around 4 per cent of the population, but this proportion is expected to increase to 8 per cent by 2051.
“Structural reform is needed to deliver a sustainable aged care system for the future.
“That is why the Gillard Government asked the Productivity Commission to conduct its recently completed inquiry into aged care.”
The Productivity Commission issued its Final Report, Caring for Older Australians, on 8 August 2011. The report includes proposals for extensive reform of Australia’s aged care system and presents an integrated reform package.
In developing its response to the Commission’s recommendations, the Government will be guided by four principles:
First, every older Australian has earned the right to be able to access quality care and support that is appropriate to their needs, when they need it;
Secondly, older Australians deserve greater choice and control over their care arrangements than the system currently provides;
Thirdly, funding arrangements for aged care need to be sustainable and fair, both for older Australians and for the broader community; and
And finally, older Australians deserve to receive quality care from an appropriately skilled workforce.
Since August this year, Minister Butler has been engaging in a conversation with older Australians, their families and carers at forums around Australia including last December in Brand – giving the community the opportunity to contribute their views about care and support for Australians as they age.
The ACAR is the annual process through which new Australian Government-funded aged care places, capital grants and zero real interest loans are allocated. The 2011 Extra Service Approvals Round was also run in conjunction with the 2011 ACAR.
FURTHER INFORMATION
More information on the 2011 Aged Care Approvals Round, zero real interest loans, capital grants and the results of the Extra Service Round are available at: www.health.gov.au/acar2011 (Aged Care Approvals Round) and www.health.gov.au/ess (Extra Service Approvals Round).
Decisions on aged care places, capital grants, loans, and Extra Service status are made independently by the Department of Health and Ageing. The process aims to allocate places to aged care providers that best meet the identified needs of local communities.