As part of a $347 million national announcement, Member for Grayndler Anthony Albanese today announced five local aged care organisations will receive additional funding for services.

Mercy Arms Community Care Marrickville/Leichhardt will receive funding for 13 additional Community Aged Care packages. These packages provide support services for older people with care needs living at home. They are designed as an alternative to low care residential aged care.

Leichhardt-based CO.AS.IT will receive funding for five Extended Aged Care at Home packages (EACH) and a flexible grant of $64,000. The EACH packages deliver care in people’s own homes equivalent to high care residential aged care, including the provision of nursing care. Lucan Care, also of Leichhardt, will receive funding for ten EACH packages.

Stanmore-based Mercy Arms Community Care Inner West will receive funding for ten EACH packages and six EACH Dementia packages. Its sister organisation Metro South East Community Services will receive funding for ten EACH Dementia packages. The EACH Dementia packages are for people who experience behaviours of concern and psychological symptoms associated with dementia.

Under this latest Aged Care Approvals Round 10,447 new aged care places worth more than $347 million a year will be provided for care for frail older Australians.

This includes 5,748 new residential aged care places – two-thirds of them high care places - and 4,699 community care places will be provided to aged care facilities and community care services.

“As the service demands of older Australians change, so too must the mix of services provided through Australian Government funding”, Mr Albanese said.

“Older Australians have told the Government that they wish to remain independent, in their own homes and in their communities. Community care services help many people stay at home instead of moving prematurely into a residential aged care facility.

“The Rudd Government is committed to providing the type of care that people need, when they need it and in the form that they prefer.”

Additional information on the 2008-2009 Aged Care Approvals Round is available at http://www.health.gov.au/acar2008-2009

Decisions on aged care places are made independently by the Department of Health and Ageing. The aim of the process is to ensure that the allocation of aged care places best meets the identified needs of the community.