For the elderly, home support and respite provides basic aged care support services to people in their homes and offers support to carers.
From 2012–13 onwards, services were delivered through the Commonwealth Home and Community Care (HACC) program, the National Respite for Carers Program (NRCP) and through residential respite in aged care homes.
Home support and respite programs are also designed to provide in-home support for children and adults with disabilities and their families and carers.
The Commonwealth HACC program arrangements applied in all states and territories except Victoria and Western Australia. The Commonwealth HACC program provides nineteen basic maintenance, support and care services to assist people to remain in the community.
These services include: domestic assistance; personal care; nursing care; social support; allied health care; respite care; centre-based day care; other meal services; goods and equipment; assessment; home modifications; client care coordination; case management; formal linen services; client counselling/support, information and advocacy; carer counselling/support, information and advocacy; meals; and transport.
The services focus on supporting the different areas of need that an individual may have due to a limitation in their ability to undertake tasks of daily living. The services support these people to be more independent at home and in the community. For the elderly, it also aims to reduce the potential or inappropriate need for admission to residential care facilities.
In Victoria and Western Australia, HACC services continue to be delivered as a jointly funded Commonwealth-State program that provides services to older people and younger people with disabilities. The Australian Government and the Victorian and Western Australian Governments maintain bilateral agreements for that purpose.
Please use our Business Directory Search facility to find ‘Home Care Package‘ or ‘Respite Care’ service providers in your local area.
