South Australia to gain 268 aged care beds under federal funding boost

South Australia will gain 268 new aged care beds under a federal funding package designed to expand residential aged care capacity and help reduce pressure on the state’s hospital system.

The Australian government announced the funding as part of its Aged Care Capital Assistance Program (ACCAP), with five Adelaide projects sharing in $34.5 million in Commonwealth funding.

Together with provider contributions, the projects are expected to unlock more than $134 million in total investment. They include new developments, expansions of existing facilities, and upgrades aimed at bringing additional residential aged care beds online as quickly as possible.

Aged Care and Seniors Minister Sam Rae said the funding was targeted at areas facing significant capacity pressures.

“The Albanese government is on a mission to deliver more beds, faster and in the places they are most needed,” he said.

According to the federal government, the projects will have a strong focus on supporting older people with higher and more complex care needs, including dementia.

SA Acting Health Minister Chris Picton welcomed the funding boost.

“These beds are desperately needed, with 453 elderly patients currently in SA health facilities waiting for an aged care placement,” he said.

“The Malinauskas Labor government is also investing directly in extra beds to help transition elderly patients who no longer require hospital care, including at College Grove in Walkerville.

“We’re also encouraging private providers to build more aged care homes in South Australia through the establishment of a $250 million no-interest loan scheme.”

Speaking to ABC Radio Adelaide on Tuesday, Minister Rae said dementia care had been an important consideration in assessing the projects.

“When the Department are looking through the expressions of interest, they are looking for projects, ideally, that provide a heightened level of care for people with dementia or dementia-related conditions,” he said.

There are perpetual concerns around the significant gaps in residential aged care supply nationally, Minister Rae confirmed that Australia needed about 10,000 new residential aged care places each year but was falling well short of that target.

“Last year we got about 800,” he said.

“The cruel, harsh reality of this is that we are playing catch-up.”

Minister Rae said Adelaide had been identified as one of four priority locations nationally where residential aged care development had stalled.

“We knew that we had an issue with undersupply here in metropolitan Adelaide, and it’s why we announced this special round of capital assistance grants,” he told ABC Radio.

The government aims to have the new beds delivered within two years.