Co.As.It. Community Services was one of many aged care providers that attended the annual Care Expo at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre in South Brisbane (BCEC) on the 4 and 5 October. The expo was aimed at providing an opportunity to discover and connect with providers from aged care, disability and in-home support through to education, mobility, mental health, social and recreational services.  

Michelle Calabro from Co.As.It. Community Services was a guest speaker at the event – ‘How to Navigate Aged Care Services – Choosing the Right Provider’. Her presentation was delivered to an enthusiastic audience with standing room only. Many attendees asked questions during the presentation, indicative of a significant need for knowledge on how to access aged care services. Michelle spoke openly on accessing a program called Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP). CHSP is an entry level home help program for older people who are mostly – but not completely – able to live and cope on their own.

Michelle explained that the “CHSP is interim funding for low needs care services, often when an individual is on the waitlist to be assigned a Home Care Package (HCP). The CHSP is considered an ‘entry-level’ program as it provides (low intensity) small amounts, or single service or a few services to a large number of older people who need only a small amount of assistance”.

The HCP program provides the second tier of support in the aged care system. The idea of the program is to provide a coordinated and tailored service to help older people with more complex care needs to continue living independently and happily at home. There are four levels of Home Care Packages, with each level providing a different subsidy amount dependent on the individual’s care needs.

The Home Care Package holder will have to choose a provider to host their package, who will develop a care plan and individualised budget that will be used to deliver the care and services the individual needs.

“With a HCP you get your own funds to use and can decide how to spend it, rather than choosing from a menu. A ‘Care Coordinator’ helps you understand the system and work out a Care Plan that suits your individual needs and preferences. Once you have a package, it stays in place for the long term. Your eligibility is assessed by the Aged Care Assessment Team (ACAT).” Said Michelle.

Michelle mentioned that “many organisations will ‘broker’ services to another provider because they do not have the organisational mix to deliver services across the board like Co.As.It. does. The benefit of going to an organisation that has its own workforce of allied health professionals, nurses, occupational therapists and of course Community Care Workers (CCWs) all under the one roof means consistency of care for the client. An organisation like Co.As.It. has more control to deliver the same worker to the client minimising changes. This is one of the benefits of choosing an organisation like Co.As.It.”

The presentation detailed the new Aged Care Quality Standards and Charter of Aged Care Rights that the Government launched on July 1. These standards make sure that clients receiving services have rights and a high quality of life right through to their twilight years.

The Care Expo was attended by a mix of families, seniors and people living with a disability. Many exhibitors specialised in aged care and NDIS services and it was a fantastic event across the board.