Minister for Ageing Justine Elliot, has announced that more than 442 new aged care places in the ACT will be on offer as part of the 2009-10 Aged Care Approvals Round (ACAR).
Increasing the number of aged care places is essential to meeting the challenges of Australia’s ageing population. The Government is committed to a sustainable aged care sector and is providing more funding, for more services, to more older Australians than ever before.
The ACAR is an annual competitive process that allocates new Australian Government-funded aged care places to service providers who best demonstrate that they can meet the growing needs of the ageing population within their local region. Applications are independently assessed and judged against criteria such as financial strength, capacity to provide care and the providers past experience with providing care.
The ACAR will give ACT aged care providers the opportunity to apply for:
- 286 residential aged places;
- 10 Community Aged Care places;
- 88 Extended Aged Care at Home places and
- 58 Extended Aged Care at Home Dementia places.
The new 442 ACT aged care beds and community care packages are part of 12,218 aged care beds and community care packages nationwide and build on the more than 225,000 places already operational in Australia.
The Rudd Government will also be providing more than $200 million in capital assistance to support investment in residential aged care facilities.
Senator for the ACT Kate Lundy, has encouraged those interested in applying for the places to come along to an information session held in the ACT on Thursday 11 February, 10.00am – 11.30am (For bookings call 02 6289 2818 or 1800 020 102 (please ask for extension 2818).
The venue and other information provided at these sessions is to be posted online soon on www.health.gov.au/acar2009-10
For further information contact the Aged Care Information Line on 1800 500 853 or the Department’s office in the respective state or territory.
Advertisements seeking applications will appear in metropolitan and selected regional newspapers on Saturday 30 January 2010. Applications will close on 15 March 2010.
Decisions on aged care places are made independently by the Department of Health and Ageing. The aim of the process is to ensure that the allocation of aged care places best meets the identified needs of the community.
Media contact: Annika Hutchins (Senator Kate Lundy) 0407 458 882
