Older Australians and their carers will soon have more opportunities for overnight respite care, following calls by the Australian Government for funding applications from community organisations that provide carer respite services to increase their services.
"Overnight respite houses give carers an occasional, much needed overnight break from their demanding and challenging role," Ms Bishop said.
"The government at present funds more than 450 respite services and more than 50 respite centres based in local areas.
"From the beginning of October the government has boosted this support by investing up to $59 million over four years to increase the availability of respite in community respite houses and cottage respite services.
"Funding is available to provide suitably equipped and well-run overnight respite houses, helping them effectively link with the wider aged and community care sector and take into account the needs and preferences of carers and those for whom they care.
"Successful applicants may also propose a variety of alternative overnight respite options, such as home host approaches and mobile respite services, in rural and remote areas where suitable infrastructure may not exist," Ms Bishop said.
Applications for this funding close on 10 November 2005. It is expected that an announcement of successful applicants will be made in December, with funding available from 1 January 2006.
"This will benefit carers of the frail aged, including people with dementia and people with dementia and challenging behaviours," Ms Bishop said.
"The Overnight Respite House initiative is part of the government’s $207.6 million 2005 Budget commitment to increase a range services to support respite for the carers of older Australians.
This new funding builds on the sevenfold increase in the National Respite for Carers Program since the Australian Government came to office, from less than $20 million in 1996 to more than $135 million in 2005-06.
For more information, see: http://www.health.gov.au/tenders
