Dementia Forum Report Released

Victoria's Assistant Minister for Social Service The Hon Mitch Fifield has released the first report from the Ministerial Dementia Forum Dementia Care - Core Business for Aged Care.  
The Dementia Forum, held on 11 December, brought together 70 key stakeholders and experts to advise the Government on how to encourage better practice dementia care in both residential and home settings, and how to best support people who exhibit severe behaviours.
Specifically, the Government convened the Forum to provide advice on a replacement for the previous government’s botched Dementia and Severe Behaviours Supplement.
Mininster Fifield said the Supplement – due to the previous government’s design – exceeded its budget by ten-fold, costing around $110 million in its first year (2013-14), well over the budgeted $11.7 million.
If claiming patterns had continued, the $16 a day Supplement would have cost $780 million over the four years from 2014-15 rather than $52 million, and over $1.5 billion over ten years.
The Dementia Forum Report provides options for improving dementia care and meeting the needs of people with severe behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia.
"The Report is currently being considered by the Government, along with the feedback provided by member of the Aged Care Sector Committee," Mininster Fifield said.
"The Government is considering options within the funding envelope originally allocated to the previous Dementia and Severe Behaviour Supplement.
"While we recognise that dementia care is core business for all aged care services, we also acknowledge the need for specialist support for clients with more complex care needs or more severe behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia.  "This is the context in which an alternative policy response will be developed.
The Report is available online
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