On 20 April 2012, the Australian Government unveiled Living Longer Living Better, a comprehensive 10 year package to reshape aged care in Australia.

The Living Longer Living Better aged care reform package provides $3.7 billion over five years. It encompasses a 10 year reform program to create a flexible and seamless system that provides older Australians with more choice, control and easier access to a full range of services, where they want it and when they need it.

As part of these reforms, the Australian Government is significantly expanding home care to assist people to remain living at home for as long as possible, and to introduce more choice and flexibility for people receiving care at home through Consumer Directed Care (CDC).

Subject to the passage of the amending legislation, a new Home Care Packages Program will commence from 1 July 2013. This Program will replace the current Community Aged Care Packages (CACPs), Extended Aged Care at Home (EACH) and Extended Aged Care at Home Dementia (EACH) packages, and will be complemented by new Supplements to support people with dementia or veterans with an accepted mental health condition.

Draft Guidelines for the Home Care Packages Program are being released as a consultation draft to assist stakeholders in understanding the upcoming changes to home care, and to provide an opportunity for stakeholders to provide comments and feedback on the proposed implementation arrangements.

The development of the draft Guidelines has been informed by preliminary advice from the National Aged Care Alliance, but does not necessarily represent the views of all stakeholders.

Comments and feedback from stakeholders on the consultation draft, as well as final advice from the National Aged Care Alliance, will inform the final Guidelines for the program and the relevant subordinate legislation. Any legislative references in the consultation draft, including changes to existing legal arrangements, are indicative only.

The final Guidelines will be available once the legislative framework for the program is in place.

How to provide feedback on the draft Guidelines

The Department is inviting stakeholders to provide feedback on the draft Guidelines. Feedback can be provided either individually or through a peak body.

If you wish to comment on the draft Guidelines, submissions should be provided to the Department by no later than Friday 17 May 2013.

Written comments can be emailed to: Home Care Packages (homecarepackages@health.gov.au)

Comments received on the draft Guidelines may be made publicly available on the Department’s website. If you do not want your comments, or parts of your comments, made publicly available, you should clearly indicate this in your submission.