United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, Regional Survey on Ageing 2011: Australia

III. Advancing Health and Wellbeing into Old Age

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Names and descriptions of policies/programmes

Ambassador for Ageing

On 12 April 2008, the Australian Government appointed an Ambassador for Ageing. The Ambassador promotes healthy, positive and active ageing including lifelong learning and continuing participation in the workforce and volunteering. The Ambassador also encourages community attitudes that value and respect older people, and explains Government programs and initiatives to the public including assisting older people to be aware of programs and how to access them.

In the past three years the Ambassador has attended over 138 events across Australia. This includes television appearances, health promotion activities such as flu vaccinations for the elderly and falls prevention, meeting with the Older People’s Commissioner for Wales, guest presenter at the Older People Speak Out National Media and People’s Choice awards, and key note speaker at the 2011 National Home and Community Care Conference.

Feedback has been extremely positive, with event organisers stating that the attendance and involvement of the Ambassador has provided significant interest in healthy ageing that inspires attendees to consider changes in behaviour.

For further information see http://www.health.gov.au/ambassadorforageing

Supporting seniors organisations

The Australian Government also supports organisations such as National Seniors Australia and the Council of the Ageing (COTA) 50+ to facilitate their participation, as peak bodies representing consumers, in the policy development processes of government. These organisations provide a channel for seniors’ views to be represented to government through, for example, contributing to Commonwealth consultation processes, participating in government advisory fora, providing input to emerging policy issues, and promoting positive images of healthy ageing and the value of older Australians to their communities. The National Seniors Productive Ageing Centre was established by National Seniors Australia to advance the knowledge and understanding of productive ageing to improve the quality of life of people aged 50 and over. The Centre receives support from the Australian Government to provide advice on productive ageing matters, undertake consumer-orientated research and education, promote and inform productive ageing and support productive ageing decisions by seniors.

Men’s sheds

Older men can be particularly vulnerable to social isolation as they often live on their own, may not have access to transport, and are no longer in the workforce.

Australia’s first National Male Health Policy was released in May 2010. The overarching aim of the Policy is to provide a framework for improving the health of all males and achieving equal health outcomes for population groups of males at risk of poor health.

The Policy recognises that older males have much to offer their peers and younger generations through their friendship, skill-sharing, mentoring, and father and grandfather roles. Initiatives with a focus on older men’s health include Men’s Sheds through the Australian Government Shed Development Program. Men’s Sheds have long been recognised as meeting places where men can find social support and camaraderie, and continue to enjoy practical skills. A significant number of older Australian men participate in Shed activities.

Further information on Men’s Sheds may be accessed at www.health.gov.au/malehealth and on the websites of the two Men’s Sheds peak organisations:

• Australian Men’s Shed Association at http://www.mensshed.org/page7859/Home.aspx
• Mensheds Australia Ltd at http://www.mensheds.com.au/

Golden Gurus

The Golden Gurus program encourages skilled people 50 years and over who are retired, semi-retired or not working full time to provide voluntary mentoring support to small business and the community. Currently the program is running from 1 January 2010 – 30 June 2012 with a review and assessment of the program to be undertaken during 2012.

Further information on Golden Gurus is available at www.deewr.gov.au/Employment/Programs/GoldenGurus/Pages/default.aspx

Planning for financial security in later life

As Australia’s population ages, it is increasingly important that people as they age have sound financial literacy skills and access to affordable financial planning advice to enable them to plan for financial security in later life. The Australian Government currently supports financial advice and information for older people through a range of initiatives.

The National Information Centre on Retirement provides free independent information about retirement planning and retirement investments including through seminars, their website and a telephone information service.

The Government’s National Financial Literacy Strategy which was developed by Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) includes a focus on those groups most in need of financial literacy assistance including retirees and pre-retirees, Indigenous Australians, women, and others with poor literacy skills or whose financial status prevents them from accessing traditional avenues of financial advice. The Strategy may be accessed at http://www.financialliteracy.gov.au/about-the-strategy

In conjunction with the Strategy, ASIC launched the www.MoneySmart.gov.au website. The website provides information to assist people with long term financial planning or with particular turning points in their lives such as starting work, buying a home, losing a job, or retiring. The information and calculator tools for Over 55s include a strong emphasis on retirement planning, superannuation and financial products such as reverse mortgages.

The Financial Information Service provides individuals with information and assistance about specific financial issues. Financial Information Service officers also conduct public seminars to help people make informed decisions about investment and financial issues for their current and future financial needs. In 2009, they conducted a pilot program targeting people approaching retirement about investment basics, called Investing between the flags, in an effort to help people better protect their retirement savings. The Investing between the flags seminars were also delivered in May and June 2011. For further information see: http://www.moneysmart.gov.au/media/271666/2011-05-17.html

Transition Care Program

The Transition Care Program is a restorative short-term care program that helps older people after a hospital stay to optimise their functioning and return home rather than enter residential aged care prematurely.

Transition care is time-limited, goal-oriented and therapy-focused. It provides older people with therapy and support to help them complete their restorative process that will help them improve their functional capacity for independent living. Transition care is provided either in a residential setting or in a community setting, including the person’s own home. The average duration of transition care is seven weeks, and the maximum duration is 12 weeks, with a possible extension of another six weeks.
As the Australian Government has funding responsibility for aged care and state and territory governments administer the hospital sector, the Transition Care Program is jointly funded by both levels of government and delivered by the state and territory governments.

Falls prevention

Preventing Falls and Harm From Falls in Older People: Best Practice Guidelines for Australian Hospitals, Residential Aged Care Facilities and Community Care 2009 was developed by the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care as a national safety and quality priority. The guidelines are designed to inform clinical practice and assist hospitals, residential aged care facilities and community care providers develop and implement practices that reduce falls and the harm sustained from falls. The Falls Prevention Guidelines are due to be reviewed in 2013-2014. They may be accessed at: http://www.health.gov.au/internet/safety/publishing.nsf/Content/FallsGuidelines

National Health Act 1953 Determination 2009 (Immunisation Program-Designated Vaccines)

The National Health Act 1953 provides for designated vaccines to be supplied through the Immunise Australia Program. The target groups for vaccination supplied under the Program range from the universal program for all infants, young children, adolescents and older Australians, to the provision of vaccines for people who are at greater risk of adverse consequences from acquiring the disease; for example, Indigenous Australians or people with co-morbidities in the case of influenza.
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Older Australians are offered free vaccination under the National Immunisation Program as follows:

• 50 years and over: Influenza (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people); Pneumococcal polysaccharide (23vPPV) (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people).
• 65 years and over: Influenza (flu); Pneumococcal polysaccharide (23vPPV).

Further details are provided at: www.immunise.health.gov.au.

Home and Community Care (HACC) Program

The HACC Program delivers high-quality, affordable and accessible services in the community that are essential to the well being of frail older people, and their carers in order to support these people to be more independent at home and in the community. The HACC Program provides eligible people with services such as domestic assistance; personal care; access to professional allied health care; nursing services; social support; home modifications; and transport.

Names and descriptions of policies/programmes

See, above, Q9b.

Names and descriptions of policies/programmes

The National Health Reform Agreement

The Council of Australian Governments (COAG) has agreed through the National Health Reform Agreement that, from 1 July 2011, the Commonwealth and States will share responsibility for providing continuity of care across health services, aged care and disability services to ensure smooth client transitions.

National Health Reform Agreement – Home and Community Care Program Reform

Under the National Health Reform Agreement the Commonwealth will take full funding, policy, management and delivery responsibility for a consistent and unified aged care system covering basic home care through to residential care.

The Commonwealth, state and territory governments are working together to implement these new arrangements, including changes to the administration and funding of the Home and Community Care (HACC) Program.

The changes do not apply to Victoria and Western Australia. In these states, basic community care services will continue to be delivered under HACC as a joint Commonwealth-state funded program.

Helping public patients in public hospitals waiting for nursing homes

This program aims to ensure that older Australians at risk of unnecessary and prolonged hospital stays receive appropriate, quality health care, including through improved transition to appropriate long-term care.

The funding enables state and territory governments to provide a range of services relevant to their own service systems, to enhance the care of older people in public hospitals and reduce the risk of hospitalisation. States and territories have significant flexibility in how objectives will be achieved, resulting in a wide range of activities being undertaken across and between jurisdictions. Common features include age-appropriate needs assessment within hospital emergency departments and streamlined linkages with community and aged care sectors on discharge.

The initial four year program from July 2006 to June 2010 has been extended for a further two years to June 2012.

Aged Care Access Initiative

The Aged Care Access Initiative aims to improve access to primary health care services for older Australians. It has two components.

The General Practitioner Incentive Component provides incentive payments to encourage General Practitioners to provide more services in Australian Government funded residential aged care facilities. The Incentive recognises some of the difficulties faced by General Practitioners in providing care in these settings and aims to encourage them provide continuing services.

The Allied Health Component improves access to allied health services for residents in aged care facilities through payment for clinical care provided by allied health professionals where these services are not claimed under Medicare or paid for by other government funding arrangements. Services funded may include care provided by exercise physiologists, dieticians, dental hygienists, podiatrists, physiotherapists, psychologists and speech pathologists.

Names and of policies/Programmes

Aged Care Workforce Fund

The Aged Care Workforce Fund supports a continuum of training, education and support for the aged care workforce ranging from short courses through to full aged care certificates in Vocational Education and Training, enroled and registered nursing qualifications, nurse under-graduate clinical placements, nurse graduate programs and post-graduate support. Together these measures deliver more flexible education and training initiatives focused on improving clinical care, assisting industry recruitment and retention, creating career paths in aged care, and providing support for the aged care workforce at all levels and job roles.

Names and descriptions of policies/Programmes

Increasing consumer directed care

The Australian Government announced pilot funding for Consumer Directed Care (CDC) in Australian Government funded community aged care programs on 12 April 2010. Under the initiative, the Government is funding selected community aged care providers to demonstrate innovative service delivery models, which will provide care recipients and carers with greater control over the design and delivery of the aged care and services they receive. Funding is being provided until 30 June 2012 for 1,000 CDC packaged care places and 400 Consumer Directed Respite Care places.

The future of CDC in aged care programs and future funding depends on the outcomes of the evaluation of this initiative, which is expected to be completed in early 2012, together with the Government’s’ response to the Productivity Commission’s report, Caring for Older Australians. An important component of the evaluation is working closely with care recipients and carers who are being asked to participate in surveys and interviews about their experiences and satisfaction with the CDC initiative.

Home and Community Care (HACC) Program

Broad consultation with HACC consumers and service providers has been an essential part of developing the future directions for the HACC Program, as part of broader aged care reforms. The Commonwealth will continue to consult with key stakeholders to inform planning and allocation of funding in its role administering the HACC Program for older people in the future.

See also Q8, above, measures to promote the participation of older persons in policy making.

Names and descriptions of policies/programmes

Initiatives for better outcomes for people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds in aged care

Older people from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds are recognised in the Aged Care Act 1997 as a special needs group as they may face difficulties understanding aged care information and services, and receiving care appropriate to their needs.

The Australian Government provides funding for specific initiatives that are designed to meet this need. Funding is provided to organisations to support aged care service providers in the provision of culturally appropriate care to people from CALD backgrounds and to assist older people from CALD communities to gain access to aged care services. This provides people from CALD backgrounds with access to aged care information and services.

The Australian Government recently announced it will provide government funded residential aged care services with on-site and telephone interpreting services. This service will assist in improving translating and interpreting services to people from a CALD background and strengthen support for delivery of culturally appropriate care to older people from CALD backgrounds.
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Services and Support for Carers

The Australian Government recognises that carers play a vital role in sustaining Australia’s system of community-based, person-centred care. Carers are unpaid family members and friends who provide support with activities of daily living for frail older people and younger people with a disability. Many carers are themselves ageing.

The Australian Government is committed to leading the development of a National Carer Recognition Framework (Framework) to better recognise the contribution of carers.

The Carer Recognition Act 2010, passed by the Government in November 2010, aims to increase recognition and awareness of carers and to acknowledge the valuable contribution they make to society. http://www.comlaw.gov.au/Details/C2010A00123/Html/Text#_Toc276377308

On 3 August 2011 the Australian Government launched the National Carer Strategy. The Strategy is the Government’s long term commitment to better respond to the needs of carers, and to ensure that carers have the opportunity to take part in all aspects of society, including the chance to participate fully in work, community and family life.

See further Q17 below.

The Social Security Act 1991 also provides for financial assistance for eligible carers of frail older people through the Carer Allowance and Carer Payment.
http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/cth/consol_act/ssa1991186/

Respite care in residential or community care settings is one of the key supports for carers funded by the Australian Government. It gives carers a break from their usual care arrangements, and by doing so, assists people with care needs to remain living in their community of choice. In addition to providing community based respite services the National Respite for Carers Program provides short-term counselling and emotional and psychological support services for carers through the National Carer Counselling Program. This helps to reduce carer stress, improve carer coping skills and facilitate, wherever possible, continuation of the caring role.
http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/content/ageing-carers-nrcp.htm

Residential respite provides short term care in aged care homes to people who have been assessed and approved to receive residential respite care. It may be used on a planned or emergency basis.
http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/content/ageing-publicat-qcoa-05info.htm

Continence Aids Payment Scheme

The Continence Aids Payment Scheme was legislated under the National Health Act 1953 in July 2010. The Scheme assists eligible people who have permanent and severe incontinence to meet some of the costs of their continence products. The cash payment is indexed annually. See further http://www.bladderbowel.gov.au/caps/

National Palliative Care Strategy

The National Palliative Care Strategy – Supporting Australians to Live Well at the End of Life (2010) represents the combined commitments of the Commonwealth, State and Territory Governments, palliative care service providers and community-based organisations to the development and implementation of palliative care policies, strategies and services that are consistent across Australia.

The Strategy is the key policy framework for the delivery of palliative care in Australia, ensuring a nationally consistent and coordinated approach to the delivery of palliative care services. The scope of the Strategy is broad, addressing both palliative care provided in all specialist and general settings as well as end of life issues. The Strategy was endorsed by the Australian Health Ministers’ Conference in 2010.

Four objectives are identified in the National Palliative Care Strategy: awareness and understanding; appropriateness and effectiveness; leadership and governance; capacity and capability. Each objective is accompanied by goals, action areas and measures of success.

Under the National Palliative Care Strategy, the National Palliative Care Program supports a range of national initiatives in four broad priority areas: medicines in the community; workforce education, training and support; support for patients, families and carers in the community; and research and quality improvement for palliative care services.

While the National Palliative Care Program supports national approaches, most palliative care service provision occurs within the remit of the state and territory health systems. Each state and territory has an articulated approach to palliative care in their jurisdiction. The Strategy aims to enhance and build on the work occurring at the jurisdictional level, not duplicate or contradict it.

See further: http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/palliativecare-strategy.htm

Community Visitors Scheme

The Community Visitors Scheme provides one-on-one volunteer visitors to residents of Australian Government subsidised aged care homes who are socially isolated and whose quality of life would be improved by friendship and companionship.

The Community Visitors Scheme was established in 1992-93 and is ongoing. Some 7,500 community visitor places were allocated to 157 organisations nationally in 2009-10.

Australian Government Directory of Services for Older People

To assist older people to access the services that best meet their needs, the Australian Government Directory of Services for Older People provides a comprehensive guide to health services, options for care, legal rights, finance and employment choices. It contains a brief description of each of the programs and services and contact information for most of the services. http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/ageing-agdos-2011-toc

Names and descriptions of policies/programmes

Sixth National HIV Strategy 2010–2013

The Strategy contains a number of Priority Actions designed to meet its aims and objectives. In the area of treatment, health and wellbeing there are two priority action items which will contribute to improving the health and wellbeing of older persons living with HIV:

1. Improving models of care by adapting chronic disease models to the HIV context and by promoting implementation of the recommendations of the Final Report of the project Models of Access and Clinical Service Delivery for HIV Positive People Living in Australia, including through the reorientation of some existing services; and
2. Investigating the changing needs of a significant population of people living with HIV, on treatments, living longer and ageing with HIV.

Community based organisations and Australia’s National Research Centres have developed a number of projects to which Australian Government funding has been committed to contribute to the achievement of these actions. A Surveillance and Monitoring Plan is currently being developed to assess if the goals and objectives of the Strategy has been achieved. Where appropriate individual projects designed to achieve these actions will contain their own evaluation measures.

The strategy may be accessed at: http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/ohp-national-strategies-2010

Funding to organisations representing people living with AIDS
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The Australian Government funds the Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations and the National Association of People Living With HIV/AIDS to respond to blood borne viruses and sexually transmissible infections in the Australian community. HIV and Ageing activities being undertaken by these organisations in 2010-11 include:

• convene a national forum on HIV and premature ageing – implications for HIV educators;
• monitor research regarding the health and psycho-social issues faced by people ageing with HIV;
• address AIDS Councils, providing education sessions and discussion forums on HIV and ageing to promote recognition of the need to provide accessible, relevant and appropriate services to this cohort of clients;
• prepare submissions to the Senate Community Affairs Committee Inquiry into Planning Options and Services for People Ageing with a Disability, and to the Productivity Commission Inquiry into Caring for Older Australians;
• respond to Senate and other inquiries regarding ageing where the terms of reference relate to issues affecting people living with HIV;
• participate in the NCHSR GP Workforce Project, which is researching the needs arising from the ageing/retirement of the HIV GP workforce, and issues associated with the ageing of the cohort of HIV-positive patients; and
• inform and guide HIV Australia content for the forthcoming issue dedicated to ageing and HIV.

Names and descriptions of policies/programmes

Older People with Dementia

The Australian Government’s initiatives for older people with dementia recognise the importance of having a health and aged care system that responds to emerging challenges such as the increasing number of people with dementia. While most older people with high level care needs are cared for in residential aged care, a range of initiatives support those who wish to continue to live in the community.

As at 30 June 2010, older people with dementia comprised an estimated 51.5 percent of permanent residents in aged care facilities. Government support for their particular care needs is targeted through the level of basic care subsidy as assessed under the Aged Care Funding Instrument.

The Extended Aged Care at Home Dementia (EACHD) program provides individually tailored packages of care for older people with dementia who: have complex care needs; have been assessed and approved by an ACAT as requiring high level care; and wish to remain living at home, and are able to do so with the assistance of an EACHD package. Expenditure on EACHD packages in 2009-2010 increased 19.2 per cent compared with 2008-09 reflecting older people’s preferences for care at home.

The Australian Government aims to strengthen the capacity of the health and aged care sectors to provide appropriate evidence-based prevention and early intervention, assessment, treatment and care for people with dementia. Support includes:

• Dementia Behaviour Management Advisory Services have been established in each state and territory to provide appropriate clinical interventions to help aged care staff and carers improve their care of people with dementia when their behaviour impacts on their care;
• The National Dementia Support Program delivered for the Government by Alzheimer’s Australia provides a wide range of services including: a dementia helpline and referral service; dementia and memory community centres, and early intervention programs, such as Living with Memory Loss Program; advice, counselling and support services; education, training and awareness raising services; and support for people with special needs including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people;
• Grants to community groups support awareness raising about dementia in local communities and encourage innovative local services for people with dementia, their carers and families. These range from encouraging dementia-friendly businesses to developing programs to support continuing enjoyment of art galleries; and
• Funding is also provided to promote dementia studies in universities and education and training for carers of people with dementia.

Further information may be accessed at:
http://www.health.gov.au/dementia
http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/ageing-dementia-about.htm

Fourth National Mental Health Plan

The Fourth National Mental Health Plan: An agenda for collaborative government action in mental health 2009-2014 (the Fourth Plan), endorsed at the Australian Health Ministers’ Conference (AHMC) in September 2010, adopts a population health framework acknowledging the importance of mental health across the lifespan from infancy to old age.

The Plan acknowledges that mental health services, whether in the primary care or specialist sector, cannot be provided as a one size fits all model; and the mental health care for older people may involve greater support from their family or staff of residential facilities. The Implementation Strategy agreed by AHMC on 12 November 2010 covers implementation approaches for each of the 34 actions contained in the Plan.

A Cross Sectoral Working Group comprising membership from relevant Ministerial Advisory Councils including ageing has been established to progress Fourth Plan actions that require a whole of government approach. It will assist in progressing implementation of actions such as ‘developing integrated approaches between housing, justice, community and aged care sectors to facilitate access to mental health programs for people at risk of homelessness and other forms of disadvantage’.

The Fourth Plan may be accessed at: http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/content/mental-pubs-f-plan09

Psychogeriatric Disorders

There is a small group of older people with more severe psychogeriatric disorders who sit at the nexus of the aged care and mental health systems and who require high levels of care, including access to specialist psychiatric care. A Psychogeriatric Care Expert Reference Group has been established to monitor developments in this area and provide regular advice on innovations in treatment and service delivery for this client group, and on strategies to foster local collaboration across health service sectors.

National Partnership Agreement on Hospital and Health Workforce Reform (2009-2010 to 2012-13) (NPA HHWR) Schedule C -Subacute Care and the National Partnership Agreement on Improving Public Hospital Services (2010-11 to 2013-14) Schedule E, New Subacute Bed Guarantee

The National Partnership Agreement on Hospital and Health Workforce Reform subacute measure aims to improve health outcomes, functional capacity and quality of life for patients by increasing the volume, and quality of subacute care services in both hospital and community settings. States and territories are funded to achieve agreed annual service growth targets, to deliver 5 per cent growth per annum or 20 per cent over the four year period to 2012-13.

The National Partnership Agreement on Improving Public Hospital Services subacute measure is providing up to $AUD1.623 billion in capital and recurrent funding to deliver and operate at least 1,316 new subacute care beds nationally by June 2014.

In return for funding under both subacute initiatives, state and territory governments are committed to:

• implementing agreed plans to strengthen subacute care and improve the mix and regional availability of services;
• participating in data development and providing agreed data to the Commonwealth; and
• reporting on progress in delivering these new beds.

In the context of these measures, sub-acute care services include rehabilitation, palliative care, sub-acute mental health care, geriatric evaluation and management and psychogeriatric care in both community and hospital settings. The National Partnership Agreements may be accessed at:
http://www.federalfinancialrelations.gov.au/content/national_partnership_agreements/health.aspx

Names and descriptions of policies/programmes

Assistive Technology in Aged Care

The Government has funded a number of assistive technology initiatives including six projects established specifically to explore the benefits of assistive technology and telehealth in the care of older Australians.

• The Telehealth Monitoring Research project is examining the usability, satisfaction and acceptance of telehealth devices in the home to determine whether Telehealth is a cost-effective community health care model.
• The Taking the Message Out to Older Australians project aims to improve awareness of, and facilitate the correct application and use of assistive technology for older people.
• The Telehealth for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Patients project aims to contribute to the understanding and benefits of telehealth within the Australian context, through the implementation of a rigorous and methodologically sound evaluation process.
• The Videophones for Medication Prompts project aims to determine the clinical and social efficacy of the use of technology to replace face-to-face visits for medication prompts.
• The Linking Rural Older People to Community through Technology project aims to improve access to regionalised services and the wider community for older Australians in rural and remote locations, through the use of GPS technology.
• The Empowering the Carer project developing and implementing a strategy to increase the availability and use of assistive technology to support carers in helping older Australians to remain safely in their own homes for as long as possible.

Commencing in 30 June 2009, project end dates vary depending on the project type, with the final projects expected to be completed by the end of 2012.

Australian Government Hearing Services Program

In its current form the Australian Government Hearing Services Program commenced in 1997. Eligibility for free hearing services through the Voucher component of the Program is targeted at Australian citizens and permanent residents who are 21 years of age or older and in one of the following categories:

• a holder of a Pensioner Concession Card;
• a person receiving sickness allowance from Centrelink;
• a holder of a Gold Repatriation Health Card;
• a holder of a White Repatriation Health Card issued for conditions which include hearing loss;
• a partner (including married, de-facto or same sex partner) of one of the above people;
• a dependant child of one of the above people who is 21 or over and under 25 years of age and undertaking full time study;
• a member of the Australian Defence Force; or
• a person in an Australian Government Disability Employment Services - Disability Management Service who is referred by an approved Disability Employment Services - Disability Management Service Provider.

Eligible clients can receive free hearing assessments, rehabilitation and, if required, hearing aids.

Older persons with complex hearing needs can also receive services from the Government Hearing Services Provider, Australian Hearing, under the Community Services Obligation component of the Program.

Connecting Health Services with the Future: Modernising Medicare (telehealth)

This initiative provides Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) payments to specialists and consultant physicians, across the full range of medical specialties, for consultations delivered by video-link to patients outside inner-metropolitan regions. All residents of residential aged care facilities and patients of Aboriginal Medical Services may also receive services through this initiative. This initiative also provides for MBS telehealth payments to be made to general practitioners and other health staff who provide support at the patient-end of the consultation.

To promote access to specialist services for people living in residential aged care, residential aged care facilities who host telehealth consultations will be eligible to receive an on-board incentive payment as well as volume based, per service payments for their role in hosting this type of consultation at their facility.

The telehealth initiative aims to increase access to medical specialists for people living in remote, rural and outer-metropolitan regions, as well as residents of aged care homes, while encouraging practitioners and residential aged care facilities to use video conferencing technology as part of their care delivery. Currently the initiative is funded from 1 July 2011 until 30 June 2015.

Home and Community Care (HACC) Program

The HACC Program funds the provision of goods and equipment to assist older people to cope with a disabling condition and/or maintain their independence in order to assist mobility, communication, reading, personal care or health care.

Disability Employment Assistance

As part of the Disability Employment Assistance program, research is focusing on transitions to retirement for older workers in Australian Disability Enterprises to help address issues associated with an ageing supported workforce. The Transition to Retirement pilot is using person-centred approaches and access to mainstream groups and services as a way of increasing social inclusion and choice for older people with disability while reducing reliance on traditional service provision. The pilot is funded for the period July 2010 – December 2011. Evaluation findings will be used to support and guide further policy development in collaboration with State and Territory Governments and other key stakeholders in this area.

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