31 July 2009
Peter Garrett AM
Federal Member for Kingsford Smith
Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts
Peter Garrett today announced 80 new residential aged care places in Randwick.
The 40 high care and 40 low care residential places at Montefiore Homes are valued at $2.844 million.
“The Rudd Government is committed to providing the type of care older Australians need, when they need it and in the form that they prefer,” Mr Garrett said.
“Older Australians have told the Government that they wish to remain independent, in their own homes and in their communities. Community care services help many people stay at home instead of moving prematurely into a residential aged care facility.
“Not everyone will need a residential facility but if they do older Australians want to be able to access a high quality and affordable nursing home that meets their care needs,” Mr Garrett said.
The 2008-09 Aged Care Approvals Round has allocated:
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5,748 new residential aged care places worth an estimated $230 million in annual recurrent funding;
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4,699 additional home-based packaged care places in recognition of the ageing population’s preference to remain in the home and community; and
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More than $51 million in capital grants, the largest single capital grant allocation since the Aged Care Act came into effect in 1997.
The new community care places are in addition to the Home and Community Care (HACC) services provided to elderly and disabled people through the $1.2 billion in Australian Government funding that will be provided to the states and territories for 2009-10. Last year this program assisted more than 830,000 Australians.
On average, over the next four years, the Commonwealth will contribute nearly $45,000 per year per resident. In addition, on average, residents contribute approximately $20,000 a year to their care. (The government pays for those who are unable to afford this).
“No Australian Government has provided more financial support to aged and community care than the Rudd Government,” Mr Garrett said.
“Over the next two years, thousands of new aged care places will be created – building on the more than 220,000 aged and community care places already operational.”