Senior Australians in the Parkes electorate will have increased access to higher level aged care through a new $500,000 investment by the Liberal National Government.
Member for Parkes Mark Coulton said Multi-Purpose Services to benefit will include those in Boggabri, Baradine, Collarenebri, Coolah, Dunedoo, Nyngan, Tottenham, Trangie and Warren, where a total of 31 flexible aged care places will have a change in their care level to ‘high’.
This follows the announcement of a $1.5 million increase in funding for residential aged care providers in the electorate, and the release of more high-level home care packages.
“The good news that Australians are living longer means more aged care residents in my electorate are requiring higher levels of care,” Mr Coulton said.
“This new funding under an extension to the Multi-Purpose Services (MPS) aged care program will help ensure more of our senior residents can receive care locally, without having to leave their families.
“People receiving aged care with increasingly complex care needs will get the care they need, where and when they need it.”
Nationally, the Government is investing additional funding of more than $4 million annually under its latest Flexible Aged Care Places Allocations Round for Multi-Purpose Services.
Multi-Purpose Services are often integrated into local health and community facilities, to provide care for senior Australians in communities which are unable to support stand-alone aged care facilities.
The new investment is part of the Government’s $5 billion aged care funding boost, announced in the 2018-19 Budget.
The residential aged care sector is set for a further boost of $60 million for capital works, through the Aged Care Approvals Round (ACAR), expected to be announced by April 2019.
Details of the Multi-Purpose Services program are at https:agedcare.health.gov.au/MPSProgram
For full funding details, please see below.