Page 1437 - Week 05 - Thursday, 13 May 2021
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The COVID-19 Stimulus Rapid Response Grants Program supported organisations to change and adapt services to effectively meet client needs under the COVID-19 pandemic, while the Participation (Digital Communities) Grants Program supported the following projects: COTA ACT received funding of $7,500 to support a seniors pop-up technology hub to enable older Canberrans to become more confident using technology to stay in touch with their community and family members; and Canberra Seniors Centre received funding of $7,744 to purchase ICT equipment and accessories towards their digital doors project, to support participation in health and educational communities at home.
The following initiatives, which are in addition to identified actions of the plan, have been progressed over the reporting period to benefit older Canberrans. The Common Ground Dickson housing development has been approved and progressed to the next stage of developing 40 social and affordable homes for in-need Canberrans. The project aims to provide long-term housing for people facing chronic homelessness in growing cohorts of need, including older women.
In July 2020, the ACT’s first specialist dementia care unit opened at Uniting Eabrai in Weston. The facility provides specialised care to people with very severe behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia and aims to reduce or stabilise symptoms so people can move into less intensive care settings. The facility is funded by the commonwealth government under the specialist dementia care program and is delivered in partnership between Uniting Eabrai and Canberra Health Services, with administrative oversight of the national partnership agreement provided by the ACT Health Directorate.
The ACT government has committed to funding Palliative Care ACT’s new non-clinical respite facility. The facility will initially operate as a six-month trial before a purpose-built facility is made to suit the model of care. Once fully operational, the facility will provide an additional eight respite beds for people with life-limiting illness, allowing them to spend up to seven days in a home-like environment while their carers get the rest they need and time to manage other responsibilities. In July 2019, the ACT Health Directorate signed a five-year cost-sharing agreement with the commonwealth government to deliver an extension of the palliative care needs round model of care to all residential aged-care facilities in the ACT.
This is the first progress report made under the four-year term of the age-friendly city plan. Work will continue in relation to the actions under the plan, though, importantly, this will adapt as the longer term impact on the COVID-19 pandemic for older Canberrans and the community as a whole becomes clear and new areas of need emerge.
Additionally, I will be closely tracking the progress on actions which support Canberra as a dementia-friendly city. I think we all appreciate the motion brought forward by Ms Lawder on 21 April this year to take a closer look at what can be done to ensure we are putting in place the right environmental adaptations and supports for people with dementia and their carers to lead happy, connected and active lives.
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