1 Background
'A continuum of care': Summary report of public submissions about support and accommodation for younger people with disability
On 10 February 2006 the Council of Australian Governments announced a new Programme to assist younger people with disability living in residential aged care throughout Australia. The Programme's initial target group is people aged under 50 years.
In March 2006 there were approximately 6,500 younger people with disability in residential aged care, including 1,000 people aged under 50 years.
With Australian Government funding of up to $122 million over five years, and up to $122 million from the states and territories, the new Helping Young People with Disability in Residential Aged Care Programme focuses on:
- moving younger people with disability from residential aged care into more appropriate forms of accommodation
- diverting younger people at risk of admission to residential aged care into more appropriate forms of accommodation
- providing disability support services to those younger people with disability who cannot be moved from residential aged care.