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House of Assembly - Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2)
2017-02-14 Daily Xml
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Domiciliary Care

272 Dr McFETRIDGE (Morphett) (27 September 2016). In reference to 2016-17 Budget Paper 4, volume 1, pages 103 and 104—

1. Why is Domiciliary Care Service only now addressing some of the issues created as a result of changes to Commonwealth Home Support Programme which were made on the 1st July 2015?

2. What will the changes be to services for existing Domiciliary Care clients and Aboriginal clients?

3. Have these changes to services been communicated to Domiciliary Care clients and, if not, why not?

4. What are the implications for potential new clients to Domiciliary Care and is there information available for the potential new clients about Domiciliary Care services, and if not, why not?

5. What are the impacts on Domiciliary Care staff as a result to changes to services?

6. Has the Domiciliary Care Aboriginal Team been made redundant or disbanded?

7. What are the redundancy and redeployment options for existing Domiciliary Care staff and why may they be made redundant?

8. Will the current Domiciliary Care review identify improvements in efficiency and effectiveness of the Commonwealth Home Support Programme?

9. Has the Domiciliary Care Commonwealth Home Support Programme had a quality review and if so, how many of the Community Care Common Standards were met?

10. Has Domiciliary Care kept up to date with its financial reporting requirements to the Commonwealth Department of Health and if not, why not?

11. Has Domiciliary Care kept up to date with its data reporting requirements to the Commonwealth Department of Health?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON (Ramsay—Minister for Communities and Social Inclusion, Minister for Social Housing, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for Ageing, Minister for Multicultural Affairs, Minister for Youth, Minister for Volunteers): I have been advised:

1. Domiciliary Care, within the Department for Communities and Social Inclusion (DCSI), has made changes to comply with the new requirements and funding parameters of the Commonwealth Home Support Programme and was ready to accept clients under the new arrangement from 1July 2015.

2. Domiciliary Care has continued to provide services to existing clients, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients. Agreements between the South Australian and commonwealth governments ensure clients with higher needs continue to be supported while appropriate home care packages are implemented. Those Domiciliary Care clients who have case management needs will transfer to home care package providers, when packages are available.

Case management services are no longer provided by Domiciliary Care, including for Aboriginal clients, as a result of changes implemented by the commonwealth. An alternate approach to supporting Aboriginal clients in line with the commonwealth Home Support Programme guidelines is in development and is expected to begin implementation in 2017. Domiciliary Care services must be provided within the funding envelope provided by the commonwealth and consistent with commonwealth guidelines and requirements.

3. Yes, Domiciliary Care has communicated the reforms to clients through letters and face-to-face visits from staff.

4. In the new national system managed by the commonwealth, potential clients first contact the national call centre. They then submit an application through the My Age Care portal, after which an assessment is conducted by a regional assessment agency. Following assessment, potential clients may be referred to Domiciliary Care.

Domiciliary Care has promoted its services to the regional assessment agencies, to ensure awareness of the type of service that Domiciliary Care provides.

5. Staff reductions have occurred due to the shift of responsibility for case management and assessment functions to the commonwealth.

6. No.

7. Domiciliary Care staff are subject to the redeployment and redundancy principles of the South Australian public service.

8. The state government is considering the future of Domiciliary Care future as a service provider. However, this does not include identifying improvements in efficiencies and effectiveness of the commonwealth Home Support Programme. Representatives from Domiciliary Care have been active contributors the national aged care reforms through a variety of co-design workshops, national committees and discussion sessions.

9. Yes. In May 2015 Domiciliary Care was successful in attaining all 18 expected outcomes of the Home Care Standards following a quality review undertaken by the Australian Aged Care Quality Agency.

10. Yes.

11. Yes.

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