Community Care Cinderella needs cash as well as a glass slipper to meet community needs

Australia’s community care services has been described by a major consulting group as the “Cinderella” of the aged care system in a report launched at the National Ageing & Disability Conference in Adelaide.

The report, undertaken by the Allen Consulting Group (ACG) for the national Community Care Coalition, highlights the need for better resourcing of community care.

The report found that the care needs of more than 400,000 elderly Australians and those of younger people with a disability are not met now, let alone the huge demand in the near future. A growing ageing, culturally diverse population, and the increasing prevalence of dementia will present an even bigger challenge.

The Future of Community Care Report found that community care “is in urgent need of reform,” with “a lack of accessible information, a system (that) is increasingly complex, and (has) poor linkages with the health system.”

There is also a shortage of appropriate services for younger
people with a disability.

“While there are pockets of innovation and best practice, there is a clear need for improvements in the responsiveness, flexibility and quality of services to meet the needs of clients,” it said.

The ACG report goes on to recommend community care reform strategies to improve availability, responsiveness, flexibility and quality of services to better meet the needs of clients now and into the future.

It calls for a system which responds to people’s needs earlier before they reach crisis point. Respite care needs to be strengthened for both the client and their family carers, who currently undertake 74% of care for those living at home. More funding is also needed for emergency in-home respite services.

A review of Carelink as an advisor and provider of services is needed, and the report recommends trialing cash and vouchers for clients to directly purchase care, to ensure that
individual care needs are met efficiently and responsively.

The report was commissioned by the Community Care Coalition (CCC) comprising 23 organisations concerned about better policies and funding for helping people to be cared for in their own homes.

While acknowledging that the Commonwealth Government has recently provided additional funding for some community care services, the CCC points out that much more still needs to be done.

“Cinderella needs her Commonwealth fairy godmothers to lead the way in equipping her to be the brightest star in aged care – providing the care people want when they want it, and where they want it – in their own homes,” said Greg Mundy, CCC spokesperson.