Supporting Long Stay Patients to Respite Funding Program - Expansion

Summary and scope

The WA Government has been working in consultation with the Commonwealth to provide more interim aged care options for older patients awaiting discharge from Western Australian hospitals. As part of this work, the WA Government funded the Supporting Long Stay Patients to Respite Pilot to support residential aged care homes to provide temporary (respite) care for older patients who are waiting on administrative or other decision-making processes before moving to long term aged care. Following consultation with stakeholders, the WA Government is increasing its additional payments to residential aged care providers who provide short term respite care to eligible patients, while supporting those patients to transition to long term aged care. The new arrangements include specific and additional funding to aged care providers to support patients awaiting State Administrative Tribunal or Guardianship decisions ahead of moving to long term aged care. To be eligible for the Pilot service providers must be: an approved residential aged care provider under the Aged Care Act 1997 an operational accredited residential aged care facility located in WA have no sanctions issued by the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission which restrict admissions to your facility. This grant opportunity replaces the previous ‘Residential Respite Pilot – Supporting Long Stay Patients to Respite Funding Program’, which closed in July 2024. Individual grant agreements under the previous arrangement will cease upon execution of new grants. The grant is undertaken in accordance with the WA Department of Health Funding Agreement Terms and Conditions and service providers must agree to adhere to the requirements outlined in the Guidelines of Grant. Grant Opportunity Guidelines may be updated prior to grant agreement execution. Service providers will be advised of any change. For more information, please refer to the Frequently Asked Questions. The Department of Health and the Aged and Community Care Providers Association (ACCPA) will co-host an information session in the week of 28 October 2024. An invitation will be circulated by ACCPA.