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.