Improving Care for Older People - Policy Implementation Update - August 2004

The Victorian Department of Human Services is progressing with the implementation of the policy Improving Care for Older People.

• The implementation of Improving care for older people policy will be aided through the utilisation of the Pathways Home Package funding provided by the Australian Government. The Pathways Home Package provides one-off funding of $63 million to Victoria, to assist the move nationally to a greater focus on the care and services provided to support the transition from hospital to home under the Australian Health Care Agreements 2003-08.
• Pathways Home funds will be provided as a one-off contribution towards the provision of appropriate rehabilitative and step-down services and related infrastructure and are unable to be applied to recurrent costs.
• Victoria’s submission for use of Pathways Home funds was based upon three of the four key focus areas associated with implementation of Improving care for older people. The total package of $63 million will be expended under the focus areas of facility expansion and upgrade ($42 million), improving service infrastructure ($13.8 million), and workforce development ($7.2 million). The focus area of Culture Change will be accommodated through existing Victorian Government resources.
• A total of $42 million of the Pathways Home Package has been allocated to capital projects across Victoria. Of this funding $24 million has been identified for capital projects within the metropolitan area and $18 million for capital projects within rural and regional areas. This will enable the expansion and upgrade of 11 community rehabilitation centres and the development of two new centre-based facilities. A list of approved capital projects is available at http://www.health.gov.au/ahca/pathways.htm.

The Continuing Care Unit within the Programs Branch of the Metropolitan Health and Aged Care Services Division will be responsible for the ongoing implementation of Improving care for older people.

Further updates will be made available on this website.