Reduced funding a 'kick in the teeth' for Meals on Wheels in Goulburn

The Federal Government has raised the funding to $7.50 per meal for all states but NSW currently receives slightly more, around $7.80.

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NSW Meals on Wheels President Chris Watt said he was disappointed by the lack of clarity in the announcement.

"There wasn't a lot of detail, they said they were going to give a boost to Meals on Wheels services Australia-wide to $7.50," Watt told the Goulburn Post.

"A lot of services in NSW are currently getting a bit more than that, $7.80, per meal unit. So it instilled a fair bit of panic in people in NSW because of the lack of detail."

With NSW currently making up 40 per cent of Meals on Wheels services in Australia, Watt said any decrease in funding would have serious implications.

"The funding boost is a big uplift nationally...while it's good for the other states it's a bit of a kick in the teeth for NSW," he said.

"We need more than that, we have a greater percentage of paid staff and a lot of fixed overheads that we need to maintain.

"To have $7.50 as the figure we're going to have is not sustainable for quite a lot of the Meals on Wheels services across the state."

Goulburn by the numbers

Unsurprisingly, Meals on Wheels has a big presence in Goulburn and the surrounding district.

Goulburn and District Meals on Wheels have 60 volunteers and in the last 12 months have supplied over 16,500 meals.

They only receive enough funding for 14,700 meals per year but have been forced to exceed that due to demand.

'People want to stay at home'

Aside from delivering nutritious meals to older Australians, Watt said the service played a pivotal role in supporting the aged care sector.

In order to operate nationally, the charity requires Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP) funding.

"With NSW being the most populous state we do have more older people, that's just how it is, there's no getting around it," he said.

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"The majority of those people want to stay at home and the CHSP funding that Meals on Wheels requires is designed to assist those people to stay at home.

"The big focus at the moment, because of the aged care Royal Commission, is on residential aged care. That's fair enough, people want their parents and grandparents to feel safe in residential aged care but the majority of people want to stay at home.

"The majority of older Australians rely on CHSP funding and only need a small amount of assistance to help them stay. Meals on Wheels is a big component of that minimal assistance that they require.

"If people aren't getting adequate nutrition they are more susceptible to falls and broken bones which puts them in hospital and into residential aged care earlier.

"The downstream cost burden is astronomical. If we can keep them home and keep them healthy then it's a win-win. They're happy and the government is paying less money."

'It's an important clinical role'

Away from the economics of it all, Meals on Wheels volunteers can also provide a social service to older Australians.

"Meal on Wheels plays a huge role [in the community]," Watt explained.

"We're quite often the only contact a lot of these people have during the week sometimes. A friendly chat from a Meals on Wheels volunteer when they're delivering meals can make their day.

"Our volunteers get to know the clients as well so they can report back to us if there are any problems. We can get other services in to help. It's an important clinical role as well."

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