There have been some changes to the way aged care services will be delivered following the Australian Government’s reforms to aged care. These changes will provide quality outcomes for older people, helping them stay independent at home while improving quality and safety.
One of these changes is the introduction of a new program called the Support at ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾ Program (SHP), which is aimed at continuing to support older people to age well in their homes. Council has looked at how we need to respond to these changes, as some of the services we provide in people’s homes are funded by the Australian Government.
In response to the reforms, we have developed a proposed future service delivery model, which we are seeking community feedback on from Wednesday 8 November 2023 until Thursday 9 December 2023.
This proposal includes Council continuing to deliver community-based services for older people, but no longer delivering in-home services. These services will be best delivered by carefully selected specialist aged care providers under the SHP. Specialist aged care providers have a more diverse workforce, capacity to meet clinical governance and quality standards and offer a more extensive level of service.
Under this proposal, our clients would continue to receive the same in-home services after choosing an accredited provider from a panel approved by the Australian Government. As an eligible client ages, there’s also the opportunity for a provider with a breadth of services to adjust to their needs for more complex care.
This proposal would see Council continuing to deliver community-based services to our seniors, including social support, transport, and meals, under this proposed new aged care services model.
We are committed to supporting older people to live independently and age well at home, so this proposal also includes establishing a new Community Connector service as a “one stop shop” to assist clients to navigate the aged care system and get the information and services they need, regardless of who provides or funds them.
