Senior Australians living in regional, rural and remote areas will have more access to high quality, higher level aged care through a new $4 million annual investment in flexible aged care places by the Liberal National Government.
The commitment will extend the Multi-Purpose Services (MPS) aged care program in five States.
In Queensland, this will fund establishment of a new multi-purpose service in Moura and expansion of the existing service at Blackall.
It will also fund delivery of higher level care at 26 MPS centres including 15 in New South Wales, seven in South Australia, two in Queensland, and one each in Victoria and Western Australia.
Our Government is committed to ensuring senior Australians have access to high quality, higher level aged care services, no matter where they choose to live.
Last year across the nation, more than 4,000 people received residential aged care through the 178 Multi-Purpose Services located in all States and the Northern Territory.
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 services enable local people to stay close to family in the communities they know and love, while supporting community cohesion and the local economy.
The new MPS investment is part of our Government’s $5 billion aged care funding boost, announced in the 2018-19 Budget.
The $4 million annual commitment extends our Government’s commitment to support senior Australians in regional, rural and remote areas, coming on top of the recent announcement of $40 million in grant funding, to upgrade regional aged care homes.
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 MPS program are on the Department of Health website.
