The Australian Greek Welfare Society (AGWS) will receive additional funding in 2012 to increase the Society’s services in the north of Melbourne.
The support comes as part of a new funding round announced by Minister for Mental Health and Ageing, Mark Butler, and Federal Member for Wills, Kelvin Thomson.
“The latest round of allocations helps address the demand being experienced in Wills for culturally appropriate services,” said Mr Thomson. “Wills has a highly multicultural population, with ABS figures showing 4.1 per cent of residents being born in Greece. The allocation of places to the Australian Greek Welfare Society acknowledges this.”
Mr Thomson said that there would be 10 Community Aged Care Packages for the new service to be provided by AGWS. Spokeswoman for AGWS, Niki Matziaris, told Neos Kosmos that the funding would help the Society bring much needed help to the northern suburbs, where hundreds of elderly members of the community were in need of support.
“It’s good news,” said Ms Matziaris. “We have 25 packages in the east and west, now we are able to provide ten packages for the north. “Each package provides care for four hours of services a week per person, and the services can vary, from home care, personal care, escorting to appointments, gardening, whatever the client needs. There’s a big need in the north with a long waiting list.”
As part of the government support to aged care in Wills, ‘Extra service’ status was approved for Anzac Lodge Private Nursing Home (Coburg North), in relation to 31 existing residential care places.
‘Extra Service’ involves the provision of additional ‘hotel’ type services and lifestyle extras to aged care residents, including higher standards of accommodation and increased entertainment and food choices. Residents are required to pay an additional fee for these services, and may be requested to pay a bond for either high care or low care accommodation.
