I am pleased to announce today a comprehensive $270 million package
of measures to enhance the care of older people in the community,
and provide greater recognition and support for carers within Australian
society.
The measures will assist elderly Australians remain in their homes
if they choose to and provide better support for carers.
The vast majority of frail older people wish to continue living in
their own homes, cared for day to day by others.
We will spend $270 million over the next four years to assist the
aged achieve this outcome, and improve support for carers in their
vital role.
The package, to begin immediately, includes:
* The number of Community Aged Care Packages to be expanded by 3,900,
at a cost of $92 million over the next four years. Together with growth
under existing programmes, this will more than double the number of
people assisted to 22,000. The packages will also be able to cater
for people with more complex care needs, including nursing care.
* Continence assistance will be increased at a cost of $15 million
to make it easier for older people to manage at home and avoid unwanted
admission to residential care.
* The successful Carer Respite Centres initiative announced in the
1996 Budget to be expanded from 58 to 73 at a cost of $30 million.
An extra $10 million will also be available for additional respite
care places for people with dementia.
* About 8,000 people aged 65 years or more currently care for adult
children with a profound disability. Many of these have been carers
for 40 years or more. We will spend an extra $15 million over four
years on accommodation services for this group through the Commonwealth/State
Disability Agreement.
* Income support for carers will be reformed with eligibility for
the Domiciliary Nursing Care Benefit expanded at a cost of $91 million.
This builds on an already announced 28% increase in the rate of benefit
to take effect from 1 July 1998.
* Funding for aged care assessment will be indexed to growth in the
older population to enable people to access care appropriate to their
needs at a cost of $13.7 million.