Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

On 13 October, Senator Siewert asked me a question about dementia support. I seek leave to incorporate the answer in Hansard.

Leave granted.

The answer read as follows—

SENATOR SIEWERT—13 October 2011

DEMENTIA

Senator SIEWERT asked the Minister representing the Minister for Health and Ageing in the Senate on, Thursday 13 October 2011:

Will the Government guarantee that the funding available will remain at at least the same level as under the [dementia] initiative?

Senator Ludwig—The Minister for Health and Ageing has provided the following answer to the honourable Senator's question:

The Australian Government is committed to funding the delivery of a range of dementia support activities.

Support includes provision of $8.3B for the care of people in aged care homes, of whom around 52 per cent have a diagnosis of dementia. The Government also funds Extended Aged Care at Home Dementia packages and respite care to support people in the community.

In addition, the Government provides support of around $30M for service improvement including information provision, counselling, service referral, education and training.

Through the establishment of flexible Funds announced as part of the 2011-12 Budget, funding to support people with dementia is provided through a range of flexible Funds, including the Aged Care Service Improvement and Healthy Ageing Grants Fund.

The Government has not taken any savings as a result of the establishment of flexible Funds. In that way, the commitment to continue support for older people, including people with dementia and their carers, is undiminished.

The establishment of the Aged Care Service Improvement and Healthy Ageing Grants Fund will enable the Australian Government to better support activities that promote healthy and active ageing, better respond to existing and emerging challenges including dementia care and better support those services targeting Aboriginal and Tones Strait Islander people and people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

The first round of grants allocated through the Fund will commence from 2012-13.