What role do Australian health professionals play in helping people choose their home care package services?
Victoria Cornell
A B C * , Braam Lowies D , Kurt Lushington E and Christine Helliar F G
A ECH, Adelaide, SA, Australia.
B College of Nursing and Health Science, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia.
C Housing and the Built Environment Special Interest Group, Australian Association of Gerontology, Melbourne, Vic., Australia.
D UniSA AHURI Research Centre, UniSA Business, University of South Australia, Way Lee Building, Room WL4-27, City West Campus, GPO Box 2471, Adelaide, SA 5001, Australia.
E Discipline of Psychology, Unit of Justice and Society, University of South Australia, GPO Box 2471, Adelaide, SA 5001, Australia.
F UniSA Business, Way Lee Building, Room WL4-31, City West Campus, North Terrace, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia.
G External postal address: GPO Box 2471, Adelaide, SA 5001, Australia.
Australian Journal of Primary Health 28(5) 454-457 https://doi.org/10.1071/PY21080
Submitted: 12 April 2021 Accepted: 20 April 2022 Published: 13 July 2022
© 2022 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing on behalf of La Trobe University
Abstract
The home care package (HCP) scheme provides funds to eligible older Australians for social, personal and clinical care services, and aims to assist people to age in-home. Uncorroborated evidence suggests older Australians rely on health professionals – especially general practitioners – to prompt HCP assessments, choose service providers and manage HCP funds thereafter. This was confirmed in a survey involving 502 older Australians aged >65 years receiving HCP funds. As more Australians survive to older age, further research is needed to establish with general practitioners their needs regarding the delivery of in-home care information, clinic practice resources, trainee education and continuing professional development.
Keywords: community aged care provision, coordinated care provision, future demand for support, general practitioners, information seeking, managing home care packages, telephone interview.
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