Source: Australian Ageing Agenda

The Victorian Government has provided $1.5 million to help younger people with disabilities in the Geelong area to move from residential aged care services into specially designed units.

The grant under the state’s my future my choice program will go to not-for-profit disabilities service provider, Karingal which will build a new housing development.

As well as the construction costs, the state government will provide $690,000 annually in recurrent funding for the units which will be home to six people.

Karingal will provide the site for the proposed development.

Victoria’s Community Services Minister, Lisa Neville said the new units will provide flexible accommodation and support for residents as their needs change.

"While it is important to move those younger people out of aged residential care who want to leave, we also recognise it is just as important to help prevent younger people at risk from entering aged care facilities,” she said.

The my future my choice initiative targets people under the age of 50 who live in, or at risk of entering, aged care

It aims to reduce the number of younger people living in residential aged care by more than 35 per cent by within three years.

Over the past five years the program has provided 46 units for younger people with disabilities across seven sites.