National aged care programs

There are a wide range of national aged care programs available to provide assistance to older Australians. The Ageing and Aged Care Unit has published statistical information on a range of aged care services. 

Programs covered include:

• Residential aged care services; and 
• Community care services, which are aimed at enabling frail older people to remain living in their own homes in the community, thus preventing premature and inappropriate admission to residential care:
• Home and Community Care (HACC): A range of different service agencies may provide particular types of assistance such as: personal care, domestic assistance, nursing care, social support, allied health care, respite care, centre-based day care, meals and other food services, home maintenance, home modification, transport, formal linen services, counseling/support, information and advocacy, assessment, case planning/review and coordination.
• Community Aged Care Packages (CACP): This program provides a coordinated package of care to care recipients with complex needs who are eligible for low level residential care. Approval must be given by an Aged Care Assessment Team before the coordinated package of care can be provided. Services provided by as part of a package are similar to those available under HACC with the exception of nursing care and allied health care, and services are coordinated through a care manager/coordinator.
• Extended Aged Care at Home Packages (EACH): This is a coordinated package of care designed for care recipients who are eligible for high level residential aged care. Approval must be given by an Aged Care Assessment Team before the coordinated package of care can be provided. Services provided by a EACH package include those available to CACP care recipients plus nursing care and allied health care.
• Day Therapy Centres (DTC): Day therapy centres provide a range of therapies, for example physiotherapy, speech therapy and occupational therapy, aimed at helping older people regain or retain the physical capacity needed to remain in their own homes or in low level residential care.
• Respite care: Respite care is designed to give a carer a break from their caring duties, and can be centre based day care, in home respite care (funded through any of the previous programs or by the National Respite for Carers Program) or can be in the form of residential respite care for the care recipient.

Additional assistance to veterans is available through Veterans Home Care which is provided by the Australian Government Department of Veterans Affairs, however there is little published information available on this program. The Ageing and Aged Care Unit has recently started work on a number of projects relating to the provision of aged care services to veterans which will be available on this website when completed.

Page last reviewed on 2 February 2005