MOVES to bring a specialised dementia care unit to western Victoria are one step closer after an official $70 million federal health funding announcement last week.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Perth will be first to trial the units, which are set to roll-out in two phases across the nation. At least one unit will be established in each Primary Health Network.
Ballarat is part of the Western Victoria PHN, which also takes in large regional centres Geelong and Warrnambool.
Specialist dementia care programs, within broader residential aged care services, will offer a multidisciplinary approach to care for people who require more support than can be provided through severe behaviour response teams or existing residential care services.
Programs will also aim to stabilise symptoms in a bid to transition people back into mainstream care.
Ballarat has made a big push to become a dementia-friendly city with the Bigger Hearts campaign in late 2016 for community awareness and hosting the National Symposium on Love and Dementia, featuring prominent dementia advocate Sue Pieters-Hawke, on Valentine’s Day 2017.
Professional cyclist Nick Locandro led a Ride to Remember from Uluru to his hometown Ballarat last October, encouraging people to become dementia friends.
The initial specialist dementia care plan was flagged for federal funding in 2016.
Bids for the first round of specialised dementia care units will open early this year.
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE
Have you signed up to The Courier's variety of news emails? You can register below and make sure you are up to date with everything that's happening in Ballarat.
