Darebin Council to continue aged care services until 2022
Darebin Council has committed to continue funding aged care services after a federal budget announcement. But aged care advocates say the fight isn’t over.
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Aged care advocates say there is now “breathing room” for their campaign to keep council aged care services after the Federal Government extended funding for two years.
The government used its 2019/20 Budget to announce that funding for the Commonwealth Home Support Program would be extended from July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2022.
As a result, Darebin Council will continue to provide in-home aged care services until at least July 2022.
Does Council Care convener Robin Vote said she hoped the council would use the extra time to look at “innovative ways” to remain as a provider.
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“It gives everybody breathing room,” she said.
“(The council is) not actively promoting their services. Build them up, give them something to continue on into the future.”
Councillor Susanne Newton said councillors were “extremely pleased” at the news and had been “working really hard” to represent the community.
The council commissioned a $250,000 report into the future of aged care services in Darebin.
The council will write to the State Government to seek an exemption from the national competition policy.
Under this policy, the council would be unable to use money taken from council revenue such as rates to subsidise their aged care services.
The council would then compete with private providers through My Aged Care.
Ms Vote said the council needed to reflect the view of its ratepayers.
“My Aged Care is meant to give people choice and a lot of Darebin residents have chosen council services,” she said.
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