Support for people with dementia a priority

Carol Bennett, Alzheimer’s Australia chief executive, claims the new assessment process and review of support services, including counselling, information, education and advocacy, puts into question the continued funding for specialist approaches that are vital to support the more than 332,000 Australians living with dementia.

“These programs form part of a suite of specialist services that bridge the gap between the needs of people with dementia and what is available through mainstream options. There is no one size fits all model to dementia care, and these programs and services are providing the support that people with dementia and their carers rely on,” Ms Bennett says.

The federal government yesterday announced further details of the new CHSP, which will begin from 1 July 2015.

The CHSP consolidates four Commonwealth funded home support programs into one streamlined and simplified program:

• Commonwealth Home and Community Care (HACC) Program;
• National Respite for Carer Program (NRCP);
• Day Therapy Centres (DTC) Program; and the
• Assistance with Care and Housing for the Aged (ACHA) Program.

The federal government yesterday announced that two years of funding will be offered to the majority of service providers with contracts under existing programmes that will form the CHSP.

This is expected to provide a degree of continuity and certainty to providers and their clients as we transition to the new program.

The overwhelming majority of providers funded through the current programs will continue to deliver services under the new CHSP, while people receiving services under the existing programs will continue to receive the same level of support now and when the CHSP begins.

The CHSP is one of several changes being made to help older people stay independent and in their own homes for longer. It will continue to support around 550,000 older people and their carers as the entry level of Australia’s aged care system.

Providers will benefit from significantly streamlined funding arrangements, with less red tape, simplified grant agreements and more time to deliver important services for older Australians.

Older people and their carers will also benefit from a standardised national assessment process and single entry point for services through the My Aged Care Gateway.

CHSP funding will be about $1.7 billion in 2015-16, which will continue to grow over the coming years, resulting in more services for more people. It will continue to provide services such as planned respite, delivered meals and domestic assistance.

A more equitable and sustainable national fees policy will be introduced to address the variations that currently exist, with protections remaining for people who can’t afford services.

There will also be a review of sector support and aged care advocacy activities that are currently funded within existing programs, which will be extended to October 2015. Providers of these services will be contacted in the new year regarding review arrangements.

Consultation with the National Aged Care Alliance and the sector more broadly will be prioritised for the government as further details of the CHSP are finalised. There will be opportunities for the industry to provide feedback on the CHSP manual, fees policy, sector support and advocacy services.

Some of the specialist dementia services provided under the current funding include: psycho-social support and counselling around the emotional impact of the dementia diagnosis; providing education to families about dementia; helping to resolve conflicts within families; support through one on one training; advocacy and the coordination of social support groups that provide much needed respite for family carers.

“If these services are lost, it will have a huge impact on the quality of life of those living with dementia,” Ms Bennett says.

“We do recognise that the intention is to cut red tape, and provide simplified grant agreements and more time to deliver services, but our priority is to ensure that the transition does not impact on some of the most vulnerable people in our community.

“Alzheimer’s Australia is looking forward to working very closely with the government throughout the review process to ensure that the people with dementia who currently access and rely on these programs don’t miss out on the essential support they need in the future.”