Commonwealth Home Support and HACC PYP Program

The Commonwealth Home Support Programme provides aged care services for older people who need assistance to keep living independently at home and in their community.

If you are generally able to manage but just need some help with daily tasks to continue living at home, CHSP services may be right for you.

These services might also be suitable if you have had a setback and need support for just a short period of time to help you get back on your feet.

The Commonwealth Home Support Programme funds a large variety of organisations (called service providers) across Australia to deliver the care and services to you, the Aborigines Advancement League is one of them.

The aim of the program is to help older people live as independently as possible — with a focus on working with you, rather than doing for you. It is about building on your strengths and abilities to help you remain living independently and safely at home.

The program is for people aged 65 years and over but for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people it is 50 years and over.

The program also includes support services for prematurely aged people on a low income who are 50 years or over or 45 years or over for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and are homeless or at risk of homelessness.

There are different services to help you manage your day-to-day activities (Caretaker Document). Depending on your needs, you may receive:

• Domestic transport to appointments and activities
• Domestic help (e.g. house cleaning, washing clothes)
• Personal care (e.g. help with showering or dressing)
• Home maintenance (e.g. changing light bulbs, gardening)
• Allied health (e.g. podiatry, physiotherapy, occupational therapy)
• Social support (e.g. accompanied activities, group excursions)

The HACC Program for Younger People provides services for people with disabilities and their carers. Younger Aboriginal people are defined as those aged 50 years or younger. Some of these clients will transfer to the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) as it rolls out in Victoria over 2016 – 2019.

The HACC Program for Younger People provides basic support and maintenance services to help people with disabilities remain living at home as independently as possible. The HACC PYP is funded and managed by the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services.

Access Mainstream Services and Supports

These are the services available for all Australians from people like doctors or teachers through the health and education systems. It also covers areas like public housing and the justice and aged care systems.

Access Community Services and Supports

These are activities and services available to everyone in a community, such as sports clubs, community groups, libraries or charities.

Maintain Informal Support Arrangements

This is help people get from their family and friends. It is support people don’t pay for and is generally part of most people’s lives.

Receive Reasonable and Necessary Funded Supports

The NDIS can pay for supports that are reasonable and necessary. This means they are related to a person’s disability and are required for them to live an ordinary life and achieve their goals.

Assistance from the NDIS is not means tested and has no impact on income support such as the Disability Support Pension and Carers Allowance.