Nine HammondCare community respite services serving hundreds of clients and carers will have their funding guaranteed until June 30, 2014, the Federal Government announced last week.
Clara and Trevor enjoy and outing with the Luncheon Group.
“Caring for older people is more than just making sure they’ve had something to eat, it’s about giving them the opportunity to connect with other people.” Trevor, client.
“It is extremely important to feel like you are not alone. It's easy for most of us to keep battling on independently, behind closed doors and it's only when you have assistance you realise that there is a strong network of support available.” Suzi, carer.
The Minister for Mental Health and Ageing, Mark Butler, said that more than 650 respite services across Australia would receive more than $293 million under an extension of the National Respite for Carers Program (NRCP).
HammondCare has NRCP services operating across Sydney, the Central Coast and the Hunter region providing highly valued respite for families caring for older people and people living with dementia. The services include overnight community cottages, social clubs, day centres and at-home respite that serve full time and working carers.
“This announcement will mean that carer’s can plan their needs for respite in advance and with certainty for an extra two years,” Mr Butler said.
“Caring for someone full time is physically and emotionally demanding and carers need to be able to take time out from their caring responsibilities. These respite services allow carers to go to work, relax or catch up with friends and know their dependents are being looked after.”
Almost 2.6 million informal carers provide care for family members and friends across Australia.
Health and Aged Care Blog