The Australian aged care system delivers services through a range of provider and care types within community-based and residential settings. This section is limited to discussion of the mainstream residential and community-based aged care programs. For more information on aged care in Australia, see GEN aged care data.
Community-based aged care
Commonwealth Home Support Programme
The Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP) provides a basic level of aged care services to support continued independence for people aged 65 and over living at home and their carers. It incorporated the Commonwealth Home and Community Care (HACC) program on its launch in 2015, although HACC will continue in Western Australia until 2018. In 2016–17, more than 720,000 people aged 65 and over received home support services (CHSP and HACC in WA) [1].
Home Care Packages Programme
The Home Care Packages Programme (Home Care) assists frail older people to remain at home for longer. In 2017, the Australian Government introduced the Increasing Choice in Home Care reforms. These reforms aimed to change Home Care to a more consumer-driven system, whereby places are allocated to individuals based on demand, and providers are better able to expand to meet this changing local demand. Between 30 June 2016 and 30 June 2017, the number of operational approved providers had increased by 41.5% [1].
At 30 June 2017, there were around 71,400 Home Care recipients, and the majority (68%) were receiving care at Levels 1-2 (basic–moderate care needs). Home Care recipients were likely to be aged 65 and over (97%), with the average age at admission into Home Care at 80.2 [2]. The number of Home Care recipients has increased by 84% over the last 10 years, reflecting an increasing preference by older Australians to age in place, and increased capacity of the system to deliver community-based care.