Aged care grants improve wellbeing of hepburn residents

The Andrews Labor Government is making sure older Victorians continue to receive high-quality care, with more than 140 public sector aged care residential facilities receiving grants for upgrades.

Member for Macedon, Mary-Anne Thomas today announced the Hepburn Shire was among the successful recipients of $5.3 million in aged care equipment and facility upgrades that create new ways for residents to stay connected with each other and their loved ones.

The program helps staff provide more diverse and meaningful activities for residents and enhance their engagement with the outside community, particularly during the global pandemic, when people can’t always rely on their usual methods of communication and contact.

The investments include:

$1.6 million in grants for services to purchase devices such as laptops or tablets. This equipment can be used to help residents keep in touch online with family and loved ones and to bolster telehealth capacity $2.3 million for a pilot program to establish kitchen gardens in residential homes and improve wellbeing and social connections for residents $1.4 million to provide minor capital grants through the Significant Facility Refurbishment Initiative (SFRI) to support projects that enhance the quality and amenity of residential aged care facilities that directly benefit residents.

Recipients include Daylesford Nursing Home & Lumeah Lodge Hostel and the Trentham Hostel &

Trentham Nursing Home, both received $45,000 to enhance resident wellbeing and promote a formalised approach focused around gardening.

These grants also support the recommendations from the Aged Care Royal Commission, which identified the need for greater emphasis on programs that increase community engagement, reduce social isolation and enhance resident wellbeing.

The Labor Government has invested more than $618 million in capital improvements to public sector aged care since 2014, including more than $320 million in rural and regional Victoria.

Quotes attributable to Member for Macedon, Mary-Anne Thomas
"Both the Daylesford Nursing Home & Lumeah Lodge Hostel and the Trentham Hostel & Trentham Nursing Home are a key part of the Hepburn community and provide a vital service for our local elderly population."

"We’re ensuring residents and staff are getting extra support to help them through these challenging times."

Quotes attributable to Minister for Disability, Ageing and Carers Colin Brooks
"The pandemic has highlighted the importance of keeping active and staying connected in our communities."

"Through these projects, we’re making sure residents in our public sector residential aged care facilities have those opportunities too."