May 19, 2016
A $20 million State Government funding package designed to provide respite care for people living with dementia should help families across the South Burnett.
Two of the seven community organisations which will share the funding provide services in the local region.
South Burnett Senior Citizens Welfare Association Inc – better known as SBcare – will receive $1 million to provide respite services in Kingaroy, Nanango Yarraman and Wondai.
And Centacare Community Services will receive $5.2 million to provide services in Kingaroy, Gympie, Hervey Bay and Brisbane.
The funding will be split across three years to allow the organisations to extend respite hours and deliver tailored care and activities.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced the funding on Sunday.
“Respite care is an essential part of caring for people with dementia,” she said.
“It offers the carer a well-deserved break from their caring responsibilities while providing valuable and meaningful activities for the person receiving care.”
Health Minister Cameron Dick said the seven funded organisations specialised in respite care and could tailor the respite to the needs of both the client and their carer.
He said there could be up to 75,650 Queenslanders living with dementia by 2019.
It is also estimated that there could be up to 104,000 new cases of dementia in Queensland over the next four years.
The other organisations to be funded are Alzheimer’s Association of Queensland, Anglicare Southern Queensland, CURA Community Services, Ozcare and St John’s Community Care Limited.
