Older people's disability funding transferrred to DHBs

Funding for disabiity support services for older people will be transferred from the Ministry of Health to district health boards from 1 October 2003, Associate Health Minister Ruth Dyson said today.

The amount of funding is $700 million, 65 per cent of which goes towards residential aged care. Ms Dyson said the transfer of funding to district health boards would help them provide more integrated services for older people, and was another step in implementing the government's Health of Older People Strategy.

"People aged 65 and over are major users of health services. It makes sense for district health boards to be responsible for planning and funding all the services that meet their health and disability support needs. The transfer of funding will encourage better integration of services and stronger relationships between boards and community-based support services."

Ruth Dyson said the funding transfer would begin in October 2003, and the Ministry of Health and district health boards had been working together for some time to ensure a smooth transition.

"Before the funding is transferred, each DHB first has to demonstrate that it can implement services integrated around older people's often changing needs, and that it has robust reporting and monitoring systems in place. Current services will be protected through existing contracts, some of which continue for up to three years.

"Boards will also be required to take a national approach to aged residential care contracting, to ensure that recent gains in achieving greater national consistency are not lost."

Ruth Dyson said people with disabilities aged 50-64 whose health support needs are assessed as 'close in interest' to older people would also be funded by district health boards. This group included many Maori who have specific health-related needs at a younger age.

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