Vulnerable Groups in the Australian Community - Essay Example

HOME AND COMMUNITY CARE (HACC POLICY PAPER BY Presented Home and Community Care (HACC Policy Paper Introduction In Australia, many old people after retiring from employment and other life based activities seek to spend most of their time at their homes. In addition, many disabled people depend on others for provision of necessary assistance in performing their basic activities. These are the two vulnerable groups in the Australian community requiring both close assistance and policies to ensure they live their life comfortably. This led to the establishment of the Home and Community Care (HACC) program, which provides very basic support services to old people, those with disabilities, and their guardians, or helpers in assisting them to continue living independently at home, and ensuring their daily basic needs have been met (Government of Western Australia, 2012). Therefore, HACC support services include assistance with daily household activities, assistance in ensuring nutrition independence, strength and safety of these individuals, support to participate in either one-to one or group activities, assistance and support to ensure independent self care such as dressing, and assistance in carrying out essential activities such as banking, shopping, and maintaining in their social contacts (Government of Western Australia, 2012). HACC Historical ground The Home and Community Care (HACC) program is the main funded of home based care services in Australia. The program provides several services to the old people, the disabled people, and their guardians (Municipal Association of Victoria 2010, 15). HACC program was initiated in 1984 through an agreement with Commonwealth , State and Territories, and the Home and Community Care Act of 1985, in response to a report by the House of Representatives Standing Committee and Expenditure in 1982 (MAV 2010, 15). This program consolidated a number of separately funded State and Commonwealth programs, which include the Home Nursing Subsidy Act of 1957, the State Grants (Home care) Act of 1969, the Delivered Meals Subsidy Act of 1970, and the States Grants (paramedical Service) Act of 1969 (MAV 2010, 15). The program, however, started back in 1885 as the Royal District Nursing Services (RDNS) with a single nurse pertaining visits to homes of the sick poor, providing care to mothers with new born babies, and the frail aged,. Though HACC has a long history, there are two important aspects defining the program. HACC brought together several separate programs and services under an umbrella, in maintaining a strong philosophy regarding providing care to the community vulnerable populations. Though HACC is a national program, each state is obligated to have a scope in building and developing their own programs to meet the needs of the state. For example, the Victorian government has played a vital role in the introduction of service coordination, and the introduction of an Active Service Model as an initiative to improve HACC and model it according to the needs of the state (MAV 2010, 16). HACC Aims and values The Home and Community Care Program since its inception has been based on assisting the frail people and those with disabilities; in ensuring that they live successfully in their communities and preventing premature admission to residential care centers through a wide variety of services (Wellness and Restorative Project, 1). This program aims at supporting the informal guardians in their care obligations through specifically targeting programs that aim at promoting the comfortability of the vulnerable groups above. In addition, HACC aims at providing social support and center based day care programs to the vulnerable groups named above, in groups context, or a one-to one context (Wellness and restorative Project, 1). In addition, the program is aimed at investing funding in the above services according to an understanding of the importance of social and practical support. Therefore, HACC Program aims at: Providing coordinated and integrated basic support services for the frail aged people, those with disabilities and their caregivers. Supporting the above vulnerable people to be more independent at home and in the community, in enhancing their quality of life and preventing them from being admitted to long term residential care. Providing flexible and timed services that respond to the needs of the clients and their caregivers (MAV 2010, 17). HACC has a value statement on wellness that elaborates wellness as a state of optimal and mental health, especially when maintained by proper diet, exercise, and other related habits. Wellness can also be viewed as something that is dependent on the dynamic relationships between the people and quality of their social and physical environment (Wellness restorative Model, 9). People Eligible for HACC Program The HACC targets and aims at supporting the below groups of individuals. Those in the Australian community and with no basic maintenance and support services provided under a National Program Scope, and would be at a high risk of unnecessary or premature long-term residential care. These groups of people include: Old and frail citizens with moderate or severe disabilities preventing them from being dependent. Young people affected by profound severe or moderate disabilities and Other classes of people as agreed from time to time by the Commonwealth Minister, and the state minster The second group eligible for HACC is the unpaid caregivers of the above vulnerable groups as assessed to belong to the National Program’s group of concern (National Program Guidelines for HACC 2007, 1.2). Importantly, the guidelines defining HACC require eligibility to benefit from this program to be fully based on frailty related to one or more types of functional capacity. Therefore, individuals do not merely qualify for the program on the basis of attaining specific advanced age only, but have to have difficulties in performing daily tasks, and have to be in need of help due to either mild or severe profound functional disability (National Program Guidelines 2007, 1.2). HACC by Statistics According to the States Government of Victoria (2012), over 275,000 Victorians received HACC program services between 2009 and 2010. 63% of these were more than 70 years of age, and 63% were females. In addition, 28% of the above HACC beneficiaries were from 85 nations classified as non-English speaking countries, while only 1% of the above clients were indigenous. Among these, 43% lived alone, while 32% had a family caregiver. In the above period across all HACC service types, the average provision was about 45.1 hours per person per annum. In addition, 59% of the above clients received only one kind of HACC services, 54,600 clients received two types of services, and 5,800 clients received five or more services. Cost of the Services In most cases, HACC program require a contribution from clients towards maintaining the cost of support services. However, such cost has to be fair and affordable to the recipient of the service. The contribution of the beneficiary largely depends on the level of support received (Government of Western Australia, 2012). For example, any person receiving an age pension has to contribute a weekly charge of $58, known as the HACC fee cap. However, no person can be denied the HACC services because they fail to afford this fee. Generally, to ensure streamlining of the services received by the community under HACC, the Community Care Common Standards were jointly developed by the Australian government and the State Territory Government under the standards of care (Commonwealth of Australia, 2011). Funding and Grants Each year, HACC is jointly funded under the Australian and State/ territory Government Program, established under the Home and Community Care Act 1985 (NSW Government, 2012). In each financial year, the ministers in charge of NSW and Australian governments approve HACC annual supplementary budget, in planning the service outputs and funding allocation in each of the Local Planning Area (LPA), and capital projects (NSW Government, 2012). Programs under HACC There are several programs under HACC support provision. These include domestic assistance, professional allied health care and nursing services, and personal care services. These programs are designed to avoid young people with disabilities and their carers from being taken to residential care, and promote their independence and self-care at home (Australian Indigenous Health, 2012). The design of these programs helps clients in choosing among the available programs, and in deciding the amount of pay that a beneficiary has to pay under each program. Challenges of the Program Despite the success of the HACC program in Australia, several drawbacks limit the success of this program in attaining its intended goals. These groups find it more difficult to receive services under HACC. These groups are the aboriginals and Torres Strait Islander people, people living in Australian remote and isolated areas, and financially disadvantaged people, especially those who cannot afford the HACC cap, people with dementia, and people from culturally different backgrounds (National Program Guidelines 2007, 1.3). These people are grouped under special needs, and HACC funded services can be provided for specific services where applicable. Conclusion and Recommendations HACC is the best approach in taking care of the vulnerable groups in the society, which include the old and the disabled in the society. Preventing these people from being placed under premature long term residential care promotes their independence, and improves their convenience at their homes. HACC is not aimed at the old people only, but those who have portrayed the need for close assistance, and support in carrying out basic activities. Under HACC, the beneficiaries are required to remit a small fee known as the HACC cap to facilitate services under HACC, though lack of such fee cannot prevent a frail or disabled individual from obtaining HACC services. The government under supplementary expenditure directly finances this service, and the funding depends on the support and service required. The professional allied health care and nursing services program is particularly more important as it ensures the vulnerable groups and their caregivers are well protected against diseases, and obtain reliable treatments to improve the quality of life. This would be particularly the best program to make in promoting good health among the vulnerable groups. References Australian Indigenous Health, 2012. Home and Community care (HACC) Program. Health InforNet http://www.healthinfonet.ecu.edu.au/key-resources/programs-projects?pid=387 [23rd April 2012] Commonwealth Of Australia, 2011. Home and Community care. Australian Government Dept. of Health and Ageing http://www.agedcareaustralia.gov.au/internet/agedcare/publishing.nsf/content/HACC [23rd April 2012] Government of Western Australia, 2012. Introduction to HACC-Information for Consumers and Carers. Department of Health. http://www.health.wa.gov.au/hacc/consumers/introduction.cfm [23rd April 2012] Home and Community care Program, 2010. The WA HACC Manual. Home and Community Care. http://www.health.wa.gov.au/hacc/docs/HACC_Manual.pdf [23rd April 2012] Municipal Association of Victoria, 2010. Induction resource for HACC Assessment. MAV. http://www.wimmerapcp.org.au/File/Objectify%20Uploads/Induction%20Resource%20for%20HACC%20Assessment%20Services%20(3).pdf [23rd April 2012] NSW Government, 2012. Delivering HACC Services. Family and Community Services http://www.adhc.nsw.gov.au/sp/delivering_hacc_services [23 April 2012] State Government of Victoria, 2012. Facts about HACC users. Victorian Government Health Information. http://www.health.vic.gov.au/hacc/hacc_victoria/facts.htm [23rd April 2012] Wellness and Restorative Model of Care Project. Background Paper .http://www.unitingcareageing.org.au/__data/assets/file/0015/53232/WellnessBACKGROUNDPAPER.pdf [23rd April 2012] Read More