$4m investment in rural aged care services

The commitment will extend the Multi-Purpose Services (MPS) aged care program in five States.

MPS are often integrated into local health and community facilities, to provide care for senior Australians in communities which are unable to support stand-alone aged care facilities.

The services enable locals to stay close to family in the communities they know and love, while supporting community cohesion and the local economy.

More than 4,000 people received residential aged care through the 178 MPS located in all States and the Northern Territory last year.

In Queensland, the investment will fund a new multi-purpose service in Moura and expansion of the existing service at Blackall. It will also fund delivery of higher level care at 26 MPS centres including 15 in New South Wales, seven in South Australia, two in Queensland, and one each in Victoria and Western Australia.

“The new MPS investment is part of our Government’s $5 billion aged care funding boost, announced in the 2018-19 Budget,” Aged Care Minister Ken Wyatt says.

“The $4 million annual commitment extends our Government’s commitment to support senior Australians in regional, rural and remote areas, coming on top of the recent announcement of $40 million in grant funding, to upgrade regional aged care homes.”

The residential aged care sector is set for a further boost of $60 million for capital works, through the Aged Care Approvals Round (ACAR), expected to be announced by April 2019.

Details of the MPS program are on the Department of Health website.