Geelong has scored a major increase in aged care places following the latest Aged Care Approvals Round.
The electorate of Corio received 223 new places, including 147 residential aged care and 76 home care packages.
Corangamite received 145 new places, including 129 residential aged care and 16 home care packages.
Member for Corio, Richard Marles, said older Australians in Geelong could look forward to better services in their later years with the announcement, part of more than $500 million in new annual aged care funding.
Victorian Croatian Aged Care Services in Bell Park will get 75 new high care residential places and 25 new low care residential places.
To help construct the facilities for the new places, Victorian Croatian Aged Care services will get a zero real interest loan of $13.35 million.
Mr Marles said older people and their carers in Geelong would have a greater say in the services they receive through the Australian Government’s Consumer Directed Care approach.
“Consumer Directed Care is the future of aged care. It aims to put consumers squarely in control of the services they receive.
“All Home Care Packages allocated in this year’s ACAR must be offered on a Consumer Directed Care basis and from July 2015 all Home Care Packages will be Consumer Directed.”
