A pre-emptive move ahead of the first round of Royal Commission hearings next week?
The extra 775 new Short-Term Restorative Care places – increasing the current number from 475 to 1,250 – had already been announced in July last year as part of the 2018-19 Aged Care Approval Round (ACAR), but Minister for Aged Care Ken Wyatt has taken the opportunity to promote the Liberals’ aged care spending.
The STRC places offer specialised care programs including physiotherapy, occupational therapy and home modifications for up to eight weeks with clear goals agreed with each individual to keep them living in their homes for longer.
Minister Wyatt says the new places will almost triple the number of older Australians using the program – from 3,088 to 8,125 – with 2,000 places to be available by 2021.
The Government has dragged its feet on allocating the new places however – applications for the places closed on 10 August last year, but the allocations for the STRC places, 13,500 aged care beds and $60 million in capital grants promised in the ACAR are only being announced “soon” according to the Minister’s press release.
Only 350 of the new STRC places will also be allocated by July this year, with the other 425 places to be allocated in 2019-20.
But in a time where there is little good being reported on the sector, any news is good news.
