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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, Second Session (54-2)
2021-02-02 Daily Xml
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Personal Alert Systems Rebate Scheme

The Hon. J.S. LEE (15:37): My question is to the minister—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! Resume your seat, please. I would like to hear what the Hon. Jing Lee has to say and I would ask the opposition to give her the respect she deserves.

The Hon. J.S. LEE: My question is to the Minister for Human Services regarding senior members of our community. Can the minister please provide an update to the council about how the Marshall Liberal government is improving support for vulnerable older South Australians?

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK (Minister for Human Services) (15:38): I thank the honourable member for her question and for her interest in this important area. We are very pleased that from 1 February we have been able to change the offering for people who are at risk of falls to provide greater choice of subsidised personal alert devices that offer new features and flexibility. Many older people remain active in our community and we want to encourage and increase their independence with the help of these devices.

We are also changing the name of the service to the Personal Alert Systems Rebate Scheme. People have been eligible through a commonwealth home care package, using their support package funds. Those who receive the lowest levels of funding for those aged-care services, such as a home support package or a level 1 home care package, or who are ineligible for a home care package are eligible for PASR provided they meet all other eligibility criteria.

We decided that we would review the system based on feedback, particularly from people with lived experience and from the sector, including the Council on the Ageing, the Catalyst Foundation, Aged and Community Services Australia, SACOSS, the Aged Care Industry Association and Leading Age Services Australia, who were particularly invited to have input into the new scheme.

As we know, technology in this area for these devices has advanced rapidly in recent years, and there is also an upcoming closure of the 3G network. The budget for PASR remains the same. In fact, it has actually had an indexation increase. The services that people will be able to be provided will include not just a pendant but a smartwatch, if they choose.

The devices will be detected. They can also choose whether the service is monitored or whether it is used to contact selected family members or a particular person of their choice. We are very pleased that these new systems are in place, and the feedback from the people with lived experience has been very good, that they now have a greater choice in terms of the devices available.

The PRESIDENT: Supplementary, the Hon. Ms Scriven.

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