Up to $311 M is available from DACS Fund to provide assistance for older people living with dementia or who have diverse needs.
Dementia and Aged Care Services (DACS) Fund
The Dementia and Aged Care Services (DACS) Fund is an Australian Government initiative to strengthen the capacity of the aged care sector to deliver quality care and services. DACS is designed to better support activities that respond to existing and emerging challenges including:
- dementia care
- services targeting LGBTI and CALD people, and
- special measures for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Background
The 2016 Dementia and Aged Care Services (DACS) Research and Innovation funding round is an open, competitive funding round under the DACS Fund to provide funding up until 30 June 2019 to support innovative projects in six priority areas:
- support for existing and emerging challenges in dementia
- better support for services targeting people from diverse backgrounds
- developments that support innovation in aged care
- support for activities focussing on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
- capital support for activities focussing on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and
- seed funding for adaptive technology projects to enable consumers to stay in their own home.
Objectives
The Dementia and Aged Care Services Fund aims to support individual older Australians who are sick or living with medical conditions.
A major component will be to improve the national coordination, alignment and effectiveness of all DoH funded dementia programmes. In particular, the Severe Behaviour Response Teams activity will complement this commitment by providing assistance to aged care residents exhibiting severe behaviours as a result of dementia.
Funding
An amount of approximately $311 million (GST exclusive) over four years to 30 June 2019 has been allocated for this activity.
Eligible Activities
To be considered for funding, applicants must propose to undertake activities that meet the aims, objectives and priorities for DACS and comply with the terms of the application documentation. Supporting documentation such as the Funding Round Summary, Questions and Answers, and application form, will address matters such as the following:
- project activities/items that will be considered eligible;
- any funding caps (minimum and/or maximum limits);
- any restrictions on start/end dates for activity. For example, all projects must be completed within the stated financial year/s;
- any restrictions around whether funding will be provided only for new or additional work;
- any restrictions on when funding must be expended
Eligible Applicants
The following entity types meet the eligibility requirements to be invited to apply for a grant for this Activity:
- Incorporated Associations (incorporated under state/territory legislation, commonly have ‘Association’ or ‘Incorporated’ or ‘Inc.’ in their legal name)
- Incorporated Cooperatives (also incorporated under state/territory legislation, commonly have ‘Cooperative’ in their legal name)
- Companies (incorporated under the Corporations Act 2001 – may be a proprietary company (limited by shares or by guarantee) or a public company)
- Aboriginal Corporations (incorporated under the Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006)
- Organisations established through a specific piece of Commonwealth or state/territory legislation (public benevolent institutions, churches, universities, unions etc.)
- Partnerships
- Trustees on behalf of a Trust
The following entity types may be invited in special circumstances:
- State and territory Governments
- Local Governments
- Where there is no suitable alternative, an individual or – jointly and separately – individuals. Where j) is used, it also needs to be stated who the decision maker is on the issue.
The target groups for DACS correspond to the Fund’s priority areas for action, and include but are not limited to:
- workforce groups that provide services to older people, including health, allied health, and staff in aged care services;
- people with dementia and their families and carers;
- aged care providers, including those providing services to older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples; and
- older people with Special Needs and their families and carers, including people with diverse social and cultural needs and people who live in rural or remote areas.
Timing
Applications close 20 December 2016.
More Information
- Source
- Dementia and Aged Care Services Fund Guidelines
Media Release
The Australian Government has released $34 million in funding grants to support innovation in dementia care and other aged care services.
Aged Care Minister Ken Wyatt said the grants would help the aged care system to meet the challenges ahead.
“The projects to be funded are cutting-edge and will strengthen the capacity of the aged care sector to respond to consumer-directed care and the challenges of dementia,” Minister Wyatt said.
“We know Australia’s population is ageing, and we know the aged care system must adapt to meet the community’s changing needs.”
42 projects will receive grants, with the focus on six priority areas.
“The Australian Government is committed to supporting the aged care sector as it moves towards consumer-directed care,” Minister Wyatt said.
“Supporting these projects will identify barriers that restrict access and choice and help ensure the special needs of consumers from diverse backgrounds are met.
“Australians deserve an aged care system that is responsive and sustainable and empowers them to receive the services they need. My priority is a flexible system that people understand works for them, not against them.”
“These grants will help ensure our aged care system is able to deliver high- quality and more innovative services, now and into the future.”
The successful projects will receive funding through to 30 June 2019. For grant details see the Department of Health Tenders and Grants webpage.
Project examples from the six priority areas:
- Support for existing and emerging challenges in dementia: An online simulated training program for residential aged care providers and a trial of innovative ‘virtual’ support for carers of people with dementia in rural communities.
- Better support for services targeting people from diverse backgrounds: Web-based tools to help people in rural or remote areas to enhance the care of older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living with dementia; several short films in Hindi, Mandarin and Arabic on the early signs of dementia; development of multilingual (25 languages) community conversations about aged care, for broadcast through community radio.
- Developments that support innovation in aged care: Research trialling a community based approach to supporting older people with mild to moderate dementia; a national education and awareness-raising program to enhance consumer empowerment and choice regarding care and prescription psychotropics for dementia.
- Support for activities that focus on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people: Exploring the use of remote community art centres to link older Aboriginal people to community aged care services; support for Aboriginal community members in Circular Head (Tasmania) to undertake professional ‘within community’ training of caring for people with dementia.
- Capital support for activities that focus on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people: A culturally appropriate space to work with Aboriginal clients and their carers; refurbishment of a kitchen for the provision of ‘Meals on Wheels’.
- Seed funding for adaptive technology projects so consumers can stay in their own home: Trial of virtual reality driving simulator to support older people in testing their driving skills to help inform decisions on relinquishing licences; development of apps and use of assistive technologies to support people with dementia; development of smart home devices and platforms to enable and support people to live safely in their homes for longer; development of a Virtual Seniors Centre to connect isolated seniors.
