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.

As part of Co.As.It.’s regular social outing program, in September, over 60 clients from both Brisbane north and Brisbane south enjoyed a stunning viewing of Brisbane from the Kangaroo Point Cliffs before driving out to the Greenbank RSL Club for a  delicious lunch.

The day dawned clear and bright and a wave of enthusiasm embraced the groups as they boarded their transport to go to Bar Spritz for morning tea.  This café is located in a pivotal position on the Brisbane River and is highly elevated to afford patrons’ outstanding views of the city skyline.  On arrival,  the clients were met with genuine delight by owner Sam and his vigorous grandfather Salvatore who at 93 yrs old continues to be an active member of the business.

The group was treated like royalty with a delicious morning tea of jumbo-sized cannoli,  Nutella doughnuts, and a lovely array of other delicious Italian sweets. The ‘best coffee in town’ was served by young Italian speaking staff who charmed the group while providing great service.

The resident large Australian lizard who is a regular guest at many tables soon ambled along for his cut of crumbs and leftovers fascinating many patrons who took photos of the special attendee.

Two energetic ladies dared to walk down and back up the 107 steps to the river and proudly returned to crow about their extensive climb.

Following the skyline experience, the group feasted on a generous seafood lunch at Greenbank RSL – the Grange Buffet has a reputation for providing an exceptional dining experience.

With laughter and food, the guests reveled in each other’s company and some were lucky to walk away with some extra pocket money after winning on the pokies.

During Senior’s Week in August 2019 Co.As.It. Community Services orgnised two trips to the Ginger Factory and Buderim Tavern in Yandina on the Sunshine Coast. The southside clients went on Monday 19 August and the northside clients went on Thursday 22 August.

An early departure was set for 7.45am with many clients arriving early and full of enthusiasm. The day was warm and sunny and the groups listened to Italian music on the bus ride heading up the highway. There were 46 clients from the northside group and 24 clients from the southside group.

The groups travelled directly to the Ginger Factory where they had morning tea of ginger scones and coffee. The iconic Ginger Factory offers fun rides, fascinating tours, a unique retail precinct and cafe surrounded by beautiful sub-tropical gardens for all to enjoy. Free entry and open seven days a week – it was the perfect location for a trip.

Whilst on the train, the groups became child-like and enjoyed the adventure. The train ride goes through 9 hectares of lush sub-tropical gardens on the historic train called “Moreton”. Now over 100 years old, Moreton was an original sugar cane train working at the Moreton Sugar Mill in Nambour, and now spends its days taking people on tours of the Ginger Factory grounds.

The groups departed around 11.30am for the Buderim Tavern where they had a delicious lunch with great service and an even greater view of the ocean. After lunch, some clients played a game of cards, others ventured to the main street to enjoy shopping and a short walk. At 3pm the groups departed for home listening to music and many clients sang songs. The groups arrived back to base at 5pm.