Aged care cash boost

By Ed Merrison
THE Angliss Hospital received a $100,000 aged care funding boost during a week in which Victoria’s aged care record came under heavy scrutiny.
Monbulk MP James Merlino announced the funding to help improve access to aged care services on Friday, 2 December.
Mr Merlino said the Aged Care Assessment Service (ACAS) at Angliss House in Upper Ferntree Gully would receive $90,678 in increased recurrent funding and a one-off $10,000 boost for mobile computers.
The Angliss House ACAS services the municipalities of Knox, Yarra Ranges and Maroondah.
Mr Merlino said: “Extra funds for the Angliss House Outer East ACAS totalling $100,678 will help assess clients’ needs more quickly and increase service efficiency.
“Older Victorians can now expect to wait less time for an essential assessment before they get their most suitable aged care services,” he said.
Mr Merlino said the further $10,000 funding boost would facilitate the introduction of mobile computing and help to improve efficiency.
ACAS units conduct about 54,000 assessments a year in hospitals, residential care or clients’ homes across Victoria to determine their service needs.
Teams also facilitate client access to long-term residential or home-based care options such as community aged care packages, extended aged care at home, home and community care and health and rehabilitation services.
The funding announcement came in a week when the Victorian aged care system has come under fire from opposition MPs.
Among criticisms were lengthening dental waiting lists among the elderly and a neglect of dietary needs in aged care facilities, in particular a lack of vitamin D.
Victoria had 40 facilities penalised by the Federal Government for failing to meet dietary requirements, more than any other State.
But Eastern Health spokesman Graeme Kelly said Eastern Health moved to put local residents’ minds at ease regarding the health of aged care in the region.
Mr Kelly said none of Eastern Health’s residential aged care facilities was among those penalised.
“All we can do is reassure the community that all our residential facilities reach full requirements for accreditation and standards,” he said.