No. 28 
Funding to assist people 
to move out of hospital

The ACT Government has announced it will provide an additional $3 million over four years to assist people with a disability who are currently being supported in hospital to transition to suitable housing and to provide sustainable ongoing support.

The Minister for Disability and Housing, John Hargreaves, said this funding would assist people who have experienced an accident or medical crisis that has resulted in a serious disability and who need support to move out of hospital.

“A serious disability requires the person and their family to completely rethink their lifestyle and their living environment,” Mr Hargreaves said. 

“This is often because of the level of personal, technical and medical support required to live outside of a hospital-type environment.

“This funding will add to the range of initiatives the ACT Government is already undertaking to assist people in making those changes, adaptations and transitions,” Mr Hargreaves said. 

“Disability ACT alone spends around $58 million annually on a range of disability specific community and government delivered support services for people with a disability. This is in addition to the many other supports available including acute health and rehabilitation services, community based responses including allied health services and home community care, equipment schemes and the taxi subsidy scheme.

“Good co-ordination of the services they require is vital and without this people with disabilities can remain in circumstances that severely limit their opportunities in life or do not make best use of the resources they do have.”

5 May 2009
Media Contact: 	Kim Fischer   6205 0300(w)   0434 020 498(m)