Apply for new aged care places

Applications for the Aged Care Approvals Round (ACAR) opened today, with existing and prospective providers of Australian Government-funded aged care encouraged to apply.

There will be 10,940 residential aged care places and 6,045 home care places allocated through the 2015 ACAR.

These extra residential aged care places and home care places will help further meet demand for aged care.

This round continues to expand the Home Care Packages Programme, giving people more options to live independently in their home, with more choice and flexibility over the services they receive.

In recognition of community need for home care places for people with more complex care needs, the Australian Government is releasing 1,729 more Level 3 and Level 4 home care places than the 2014 ACAR–an increase of 45 per cent.

Up to $67 million in capital grants will also be offered as part of the 2015 ACAR, under the Rural, Regional and Other Special Needs Building Fund.

These grants encourage greater investment in areas of high need, with $11.5 million allocated to support access to residential aged care for older people from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities.

For more information on the 2015 ACAR, including information on how to apply, please visit www.dss.gov.au/2015ACAR.

All applications must be received within the Department of Social Services by 11:59pm (AEST) Friday 25 September 2015.

The Government has also developed a series of resources to assist CALD organisations to apply for Australian Government aged care funding, including the ACAR.

The resources are available at www.dss.gov.au/CALD and include translated versions.

The number of places available in the 2015 ACAR: