May 2005

More aged care beds and services for seniors

More than 200 extra aged care beds will be upgraded across Victoria as part of a $111 million Budget funding boost for older Victorians.

Aged Care Minister Gavin Jennings said the Budget provided more opportunities for older Victorians to live close to family and friends by supporting public, private and not-for-profit providers to expand services.

The 2005–06 State Budget includes:

• $20 million for the first stage of the Mornington Centre Promoting Health Independence to give specialised care and rehabilitation programs for the Peninsula’s growing population;

• $11 million for Northeast Health in Wangaratta for a new 60-bed high-care residential aged care facility;

• $7.5 million for East Grampians Health Service to redevelop 45 high-care beds at John Pickford House in Ararat;

• $7.5 million for Portland District Health to replace a 30-bed aged care facility, primary health service and construction of a new recovery suite;

• $5 million for Beaufort and Skipton Health Service to upgrade and integrate six acute, 11 high-care, and nine low-care aged care beds at Skipton with a community health service and GP clinic;

• $9.9 million for Mt Alexander Hospital in Castlemaine for a new 60-bed residential aged care facility.

‘The funding boost brings the Government’s total investment in upgrading residential aged care services to $258 million,’ Mr Jennings said.

‘This is on top of investment in sub-acute and rehabilitation centres in Mornington, Geelong and Knox.’

He said the State Budget also provided support to non-government providers with $30 million over five years for land tax exemptions for aged care facilities and supported residential services.

Mr Jennings said the initiatives to promote access to residential aged care announced as part of A Fairer Victoria would also explore ways to assist not-for-profit aged care operators develop new aged care facilities in areas of high demand.

‘Not-for-profit providers are facing increasing difficulties in establishing new services, especially in inner and middle metropolitan areas where securing affordable land is a major issue,’ he said.

‘To promote access to residential aged care we will examine options such as leasing surplus parcels of land on a long-term basis to establish urgently-needed high-care places for seniors.’

The $61 million capital works program unveiled in the State Budget is on top of the $50 million announced for seniors in A Fairer Victoria to expand community and home-based services to make it easier for people to stay living independently.