$2.7 million to help local seniors live at home for longer
The Morrison Government will invest an additional $2.7 million to support senior Australians in the Hinkler and Wide Bay regions to remain living independently in their own homes.
The funding boost will help 10 home support providers extend their local services and is part of our Governmentâs $100 million national expansion of the $5.5 billion Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP).
This is about giving local seniors more certainty, more options and more independence.
The three types of CHSP services earmarked for growth in the Wide Bay aged care planning region are:
âĒ Domestic assistance
âĒ Transport
âĒ Home maintenance
Our Government is committed to giving senior Australians as many choices as possible to remain living in the security of the homes they love, close to their families and connected with their communities.
Negotiations are well advanced with local CHSP providers, with the growth funding set to flow from January 2019.
The expansion will grow home services and build on the more than 22,000 local residents and their carers currently receiving CHSP assistance. Total funding for all CHSP service activities in the Wide Bay region is projected to be more than $35 million in the 2018-19 financial year.
The CHSP delivers high-quality support tailored to each personâs individual circumstances and preferences. There is a strong emphasis on helping maintain and
restore the independence of senior Australians through wellness and rehabilitation support.
The local growth areas to be funded will include: Household help such as cleaning, laundry and personal care; General repairs and care of homes and gardens; More transport for shopping and appointments.
Our ageing population and the evolving needs and wishes of senior Australians are driving an increasing demand for home-based services. CHSP services also include home modifications, food preparation and meals on wheels, nursing, social support and respite care.
The new CHSP funding builds on our Governmentâs record $5 billion aged care boost, announced in the 2018-19 Federal Budget, including the landmark More Choices For A Longer Life package, supporting people through better access to care, better quality of care and better ageing.
The CHSP is available to people aged 65 years and over, or 50 years and over for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
It also includes support services for prematurely aged people on low incomes who are 50 years or over and are homeless or at risk of homelessness.