NATIONAL UPDATE
HOME CARE: ONE PROGRAM TO RULE THEM ALL? THE NEW SUPPORT AT HOME PROGRAM EXPLAINED
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ust when you think you understand the regulations and have learnt the acronyms and can quote the levels from one to four, everything changes, and you might feel like you need to start over.
The new Support at Home Program will commence in July 2023—in line with the Royal Commission in Aged Care Quality and Safety, recommendation 35, to implement a new aged care program, and recommendation 118 to introduce a new funding model for care at home. A lot of the finer details are still being worked out and there is much consultation taking place within the sector, but we know the Support at Home Program will replace the following: •
Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP), which provides for small amounts of ongoing or short-term care related to personal care and support services.
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Home Care Packages (HCP) Program, which provides for coordinated amounts of personal care, support services, nursing, allied health or clinical services (determined by an individual’s needs).
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Short Term Restorative Care (STRC) Program, which provides a time limited, goal-orientated, multidisciplinary and coordinated package of services. Aims to reverse and/or slow ‘functional decline’ and improve wellbeing.
similar to the CHSP and HCP process that you might already be familiar with, however some of the terminology will be different. The following is what we do know. 1. Clients will still require an assessment and this will be done using an integrated assessment tool that will match services to a persons aged care support need. 2. Assessed care needs will determine the complexity of care and services required. 3. Clients will still receive an Individualised Support Plan that would outline the care and services, frequency and duration. 4. Funding would be set and determined by the care and services the client has been assessed against and be referred to as a service type. 5. Clients can still use the assistance of a provider or selfmanage their Support at Home Program. 6. Clients can select their provider by using a Service List. Services in this list will be grouped into service categories.
The hope is that, if and when we get it right, improved home supports will prevent premature admissions to residential aged care facilities—meaning older Australians can remain at home, independent and in charge of their lives, make decisions and be treated with dignity and respect.
What will the Support at Home Program look like? While there is still consultation and details to be developed and refined, the new program will be relatively
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