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Access to Home and Community Care Services

This guide has been produced to assist health professionals refer to Home and Community Care services provided by local Councils.

CONTENTS

1. Eligibility
2. Access to Services
3. The Living at Home Assessment
4. Fees
5. Waiting Period
6. Domestic Assistance
7. Personal Care
8. Respite Care
9. Food Services
10. Property Maintenance
11. Social Support
12. Community Transport
13. Reviews
14. Withdrawal of Services
15. Privacy/ Confidentiality
16. Contacts

1. HACC Eligibility

HACC target group

1. Frail aged
2. Older people with disabilities and their carers
3. Younger people with disabilities and their carers

HACC Special Needs Group

• People from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds
• Indigenous people
• People with dementia
• Financially disadvantaged people

2. Access to HACC Services

Initial Contact/ Referral process

• Doctors and Allied Health Professionals, family, friend or advocate (with clients' consent) may refer prospective clients to council HACC services
• The referring professional will be requested to provide detailed information to assist in determining eligibility
• An Intake Worker may request information to determine eligibility
• If eligible, a home visit will be arranged for a Living at Home assessment to determine service needs
• An interpreter can be arranged if required

3. The Living at Home Assessment

• The assessment is conducted in consultation with the prospective client in their home
• Family, friend, advocate or health professional may be present
• Service hours for care are capped, the assessment process will determine the appropriate hours of care
• All services require an Occupational Health and Safety check of the clients' home

4. Fees

• Fees are subsidised and set according to an income related scale. The assessment officer will determine the appropriate fee to be charged at the time of assessment

5. Waiting Period

• Prospective clients will be informed during the assessment if they are to be placed on a waiting list for services. Waiting lists are reviewed regularly, and clients placed on a waiting list are prioritised according to their assessed needs.

6. Domestic Assistance

Service delivery instructions are developed in consultation with the client and the Assessment Officer. Home Care Workers may perform the following tasks:

• Vacuuming
• Mopping floors
• Cleaning / Bathroom / basin / shower / toilet
• Changing / making bed
• Laundry
• Light ironing
• Shopping assistance

7. Personal Care

A detailed Care Plan is developed in consultation with the Council Nurse and the Client. This plan remains in the home at all times. Home Care Workers may perform the following tasks:

• Showering/sponge wash
• Dressing/undressing
• Grooming/Shaving (electric razor only)
• Toileting
• Assistance with eating, drinking, special diets
• Assistance with aids and equipment
• Prompting/monitoring self-medication
• Shopping assistance

Please note: Home Care Workers are NOT able to perform the following tasks:

• Attend wounds/ change dressings
• Apply medicated creams
• Administer eye/ear drops
• Dispense and administer medications/may only prompt
• Injections
• PEG Feeds
• Complex care procedures

8. Respite Care

Respite Care provides short term breaks Primary carers of frail aged people and people of all ages with a disability. A detailed care plan is developed in consultation with the Client/family by an assessment officer.

Home Care Workers may perform the following tasks:

• In-home respite (regular or occasional)
• Approved community based respite activity (regular or occasional)

9. Food Services

A nutritionally balanced three-course meal including fruit juice is delivered to the clients' home.

• Providing meals for up to 7 days per week, meal delivery 5 days Monday-Friday
• Attend community venues if preferred
• Dietary meals catered for upon request

10. Property Maintenance

This service assists clients with minor home repairs such as those listed but will not undertake tasks that require certified tradesmen

• Installing/fixing door and window locks
• Installing handrails, ramps or other safety aids (according to Occupational Therapist assessment and specifications)
• Installing smoke alarms and replacing batteries
• Replacing light bulbs
• Cleaning of household gutters
• Replacing tap washers
• Green Clean (Annual garden spring clean & mulching - no mowing)

11. Social Support/Planned Activity Groups

Social Support Programs provide clients with an opportunity to socialise within their community groups.
These programs provide the following;

• Socialisation, friends, new activities
• Assist to reduce social isolation
• Supervised aged appropriate exercise/strength training programs

12. Community Transport

• Community transport is for clients and older residents with a disability who have difficulty accessing public transport
• Provide transport from the clients' home to a range of community locations within the municipality eg. shopping and library trips
• Council is responsive to the diverse needs of the local community and supports the activities of multicultural groups in various ways.

13. Reviews

• Councils periodically conduct reviews of the services received by clients
• Reviews maybe requested by the client, family, friend or health professional
• The review process provides the opportunity to evaluate clients' current needs and requirements, particularly if any changes have occurred since the initial assessment

14. Withdrawal of Council Services

Within HACC guidelines Councils reserve the right of refuse services when

• The health of the client deteriorates significantly to the point where the service is unable to meet the needs of the client
• Care requirements exceed the capacity of the Home and Community program.
• Client fails to comply with policies, procedures and guidelines as provided and explained during the assessment process

15. Privacy & Confidentiality

16. Contacts

Aged Care Assessment Service

Peter James Centre Aged Care Assessment Service - 9881 1875

RESPITE CENTRE

Commonwealth Carer Respite Centres - 1800 059 059

Ethno-Specific Organisations

Australian Greek Welfare Society - 9388 9998

Chinese Community Social Services Centre Inc. - 9888 8493

CO.AS.IT - 9349 9000

Fronditha Care - 9552 4111

Multicultural Information

Migrant Information Centre Eastern Region - 9563 4130

Telephone Interpreter Service - 13 14 50

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Updated: 12 August 2009

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