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Aged & Community Care Providers Association (ACCPA) has welcomed the Federal Government sensible decision to defer the start of the Support at Home Program to mid-2024.
ACCPA Interim CEO Paul Sadler, “The new start date for the Support at Home Program aligns well with the original Aged Care Royal Commission recommendation and will free up providers to focus on the current challenges of the Winter Omicron wave.
“ACCPA supports creation of the Support at Home Program. We have been working with the Support at Home Alliance, which includes Commonwealth Home Support provider peak bodies (e.g. Meals on Wheels, Community Transport & Home Modifications), local government representatives and ethnic communities, to develop a model for how the new program could operate.”
The current home care programs serve around 1.1 million older people. These programs include Home Care Packages, Commonwealth Home Support and Short-Term Restorative Care.
Mr Sadler said, “Multiple reports, including the Aged Care Royal Commission, have recommended creation of a new single home care program subsuming the existing separate programs.
“We look forward to working with the Federal Government to co-design and pilot a system of in-home care and support for older Australians that replaces existing home care programs with a better, integrated model that is fit for the future.”