As part of the government's $3.7 billion reform plan, Living Longer Living Better, Minister for Mental Health and Ageing Mark Butler recently announced several new initiatives aimed at providing older Australians with more choices and easier access to a full range of services.
Residential and home care services will undergo a major expansion. People who receive care at home will gain greater control over their care, including who will deliver the services and when they are delivered. And there is new funding for respite care as well as new guidelines and decision-making tools designed to provide a consistent, best-practice approach to medication and behavior management. Minister Butler also announced more than $17 million in funding for projects to better connect Australia's long-term care system with the health and hospitals systems.
Sources:
- http://www.health.gov.au/internet/ministers/publishing.nsf/Content/mr-yr12-mb-mb117.htm
- http://www.health.gov.au/internet/ministers/publishing.nsf/Content/mr-yr12-mb-mb125.htm
- http://www.health.gov.au/internet/ministers/publishing.nsf/Content/mr-yr12-mb-mb120.htm
- http://www.health.gov.au/internet/ministers/publishing.nsf/Content/mr-yr12-mb-mb123.htm