More elderly Australians will be able to remain living at home with the rollout of an extra 10,000 new high-level home care packages.
The home care expansion is part of the Liberal National Government’s half-billion dollar ($552.9 million) aged care funding increase, announced in December 2018.
The new places will be rolled out this month (January) and can include services in:
o Nutrition, hydration, meal preparation and diet
o Continence management
o Mobility and dexterity
o Nursing, allied health and other clinical services
o Transport and personal assistance
o Management of skin integrity
All of the additional 5,000 Level Three and 5,000 Level Four packages will be allocated by 30 June 2019, providing funding for up to $50,000 of care services per person per year including nursing, home assistance, nutrition and meal preparation and transport support.
Along with the extra 20,000 packages funded in the past year, this will see a 40 per cent increase in people receiving home care packages.
Our Government is also keeping more money in the pockets of 70,000 senior Australians, by reducing the maximum contribution they can be asked to make through the basic daily fee by up to $400 per year for Level One packages, $200 a year for Level Two packages and $100 a year for a Level Three packages.
These savings are part of our Government’s unprecedented aged care reforms to help ensure senior Australians receive the care they want and deserve, where and when they need it.
We have invested an extra $1 billion a year in aged care services since 2013 and will continue our record investment through the 2018/19 Budget’s $5 billion aged care boost over the next four years.
Thanks to our Government’s strong economic management, we are able to increase funding for the essential services such as aged care that Australians rely on, without higher taxes.
Ind out more at https://www.myagedcare.gov.au/help-home/home-care-packages