LEHMS Mobile Health Care Management
Community Aged Care Packages (CACP)
What are Community Aged Care Packages?
Community Aged Care Packages are individually planned and coordinated packages of care tailored to help older Australians remain living in their own homes. They are funded by the Australian Government to provide for the complex care needs of older people.
What help is available?
Community Aged Care Packages are very flexible and designed to help with individual care needs. The types of services that may be provided as part of a package include:
n personal care;
n social support;
n transport to appointments;
n home help;
n meal preparation; and
n gardening.
What is not included?
Community Aged Care Packages do not allow for any clinical nursing intervention:
n wound care;
n equipment.
Who will provide the care?
The Australian Government provides CACP providers with a subsidy per package to supply and coordinate care services for older people. The individual services within a CACP may be provided by a variety of organisations in your local area, but will be coordinated and planned by the approved aged care service provider who receives the subsidy to care for the person receiving the CACP.
How does one access a CACP?
To receive a CACP, a person must be assessed by an Aged Care Assessment Team (ACAT) as requiring low level care. ACAT assessments are free of charge. If CACPs are available in the person’s area, they have been assessed as needing low level care, and expressed a preference to be cared for in their home, then they may be offered a CACP package of care.
Information on ACATs is available from doctors, hospitals and community centres or the Aged and Community Care Information Line on 1800 500 853 or Commonwealth Carelink Centres on 1800 052 222.
How is a CACP arranged?
When a service provider accepts the person, a package of services will be tailored to meet their needs as assessed by the ACAT. The service provider will discuss the options available for meeting those care needs and a plan of care will be agreed upon.
That person and their family or representatives have the right to negotiate with the provider on the types and levels of care to be provided. After agreeing on the care, the service provider will provide a copy of the care plan setting out the services they will receive.
Are there fees involved?
Recipients are asked to pay a fee for a CACP. For older people on the maximum basic rate of pension, fees must not exceed 17.5% of that pension. People on higher incomes* may be asked to pay additional fees (limited to 50% of any income above the maximum pension rate). However, no one will be denied a service they need based on an inability to pay fees.
*Income means income after tax and the Medicare levy.
What quality of service can be expected?
Recipients are entitled to:
n quality services that meet their assessed needs;
n where possible, their preferred level of social independence;
n having their dignity and privacy respected at all times;
n access information about the care options available and the facts they need to make informed choices;
n access to details of the care being provided; and
n take part in developing a package of services that best meets their needs.
What if the recipient has a complaint?
Recipients or their representatives have the right to complain if they are not happy with the services provided under a CACP. If talking to the service provider cannot solve the problem, the Aged Care Complaints Resolution Scheme is available. This is a free service which is overseen by an independent Commissioner for Complaints. Call 1800 550 552.
Recipients are also entitled to access advocacy services. For information on advocacy, please contact the Aged and Community Care Information Line on 1800 500 853.
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