Innovative Aged Care Projects receive $34 million boost

Minister for Social Services, the Hon. Scott Morrison and Assistant Minister, Senator the Hon. Mitch Fifield, today announced the Coalition Government will invest $34 million into tackling new and existing challenges in aged care nationwide.

Older Australians will benefit from flexible and innovative aged care projects that will be funded by the Coalition Government through the Aged Care Service Improvement and Healthy Ageing Grants round until June 2017.

“These grants will support older Australians in our community by building the capacity of local aged care service providers to better meet their needs,” Minister Morrison said.

“Through these grants organisations will build the capacity of aged care services to deliver high quality, world class care.

“This means we are able to better respond to existing and emerging challenges both now and into the future.”

Assistant Minister for Social Services, Mitch Fifield—who has responsibility for Ageing and Aged Care—said funding would also be particularly beneficial to helping older people remain independent and have more choice and control over the services they receive.

“The Government is building an aged care system that offers older people more support to help them stay in their own homes for as long as possible,” Minister Fifield said.

“A number of projects funded in this round will support and prepare service providers to deliver high quality care that is centred around the care recipient, including one project that focuses on care for people in regional and rural communities.

“Other projects look at how innovative models of care can assist people with dementia, including a pilot program that tests whether specially trained dogs can increase the independence and improve the quality of life for a person with dementia.”

Minister Fifield said funding will also be provided to improve cultural competency for aged care workers, as well as enhance the CALD sector’s capacity to provide high quality aged care.

The Aged Care Service Improvement and Healthy Ageing Grants will be shared between 54 organisations for both national and state and territory projects that focus on aged care.

A list of all successful applicants is available at www.dss.gov.au/grants