Aged care organisations advocating for diverse groups, including older Indigenous people, multicultural groups and the LGBT community, will share in $14.8 million of federal funding.
The funding will be provided over three years, starting on July 1, and will be available for seven organisations.
Funding will also support the establishment of a National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Ageing and Aged Care Council (NATSIACC) to formalise representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in aged care.
“It is existing grant funding that is part of ongoing government appropriations and will help aged care groups to continue supporting and advocating for older people during a period of significant change and reform of the aged care system,” a government spokesman told Community Care Review.
“Once in a generation reform”
Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care Services Richard Colbeck said it was important to hear the views, wishes and concerns of diverse communities.
“It is vital that people with dementia, culturally and linguistically diverse communities, LGBTQI+ individuals and communities, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, gerontologists and associated health professionals continue to be well represented,” he said.
The aged care consumer peak bodies being funded are:
- The Federation of Ethnic Communities’ Councils of Australia (FECCA)
- Dementia Australia (DA)
- National Seniors Australia (NSA)
- LGBTIQ+ Health Australia (LHA)
- The Australian Association of Gerontology (AAG)
- COTA Australia
- The Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (VACCHO), acting on behalf of the National Advisory Group for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Aged Care (NAGATSIAC)
Growing home care workforce
Last month, the federal government also announced funding to six organisations to help grow Australia’s home care workforce by 13,000 over the next two years.
More than $91 million under the Home Care Workforce Support Program has been allocated to organisations in each state and territory.
The program is a part of the government’s response to the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety and is designed to raise awareness of career opportunities in the sector, skill and screen new workers and better equip providers to attract, train and retain staff.
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