We talk a lot about Consumer Directed Care (CDC) here at Ellis Jones. It’s an important change for the aged care industry. However, with all the information floating about there are still so many unanswered questions.
The question on our mind this week: Will packages under the new Home Support Program be offered on a Consumer Directed Care (CDC) basis? While it is widely expected that they will be, nothing has been confirmed yet.
As part of the Living Longer, Living Better reforms, the Home and Community Care (HACC) program is going to change. The current HACC program is designed to support older people to stay at home, and be more independent in the community. On 1 July 2015, the HACC program, the National Respite for Carers Program, Day Therapy Centres and the Assistance with Care and Housing for the Aged Program will be consolidated under a new Home Support program, bringibng together the existing services currently providing basic home support.
Home Support Program is not to be confused with Home Care Packages which is the amalgamation of the Community Aged Care Program (CACP), Extended Aged Care at Home (EACH) package and the Extended Aged Care at Home Dementia (EACHD) package. Currently only a portion of Home Care Packages are offered on a CDC basis, but from 1 July 2015 all home care will be delivered on a CDC basis.
This involves the clients having greater autonomy and choice in decision-making about how services are delivered, when, and by whom. This type of environment brings the opportunity for aged care providers to think of their businesses as a gateway for product and service delivery.
With just over a year to go until the changes are implemented, it is only natural for the aged care sector to want to know what is going on.
We’d love to hear from others on this subject. The more information shared, the better informed we will be as an industry and that can only mean greater outcomes for providers.
