Who DSOA Program services are for
The DSOA Program provides services to those older Australians with disability who were receiving CoS services.
Services available under DSOA
Each client will have an individual support plan that covers the service types available under the program, including:
- assistance in supported independent living
- assistance with self-care activities
- short term accommodation (STA) and assistance (including respite)
- specialist behavioural intervention support
- counselling
- community nursing care for continence aid
- psychosocial recovery coaching
- therapy assistant
- assessment recommendation therapy and/or training
- dietitian consultation and diet plan development;
- exercise physiology
- audiologist hearing services
- delivery of health supports by various nursing professionals
- case management.
Services not available under DSOA
The program does not fund specialist disability services that help people to:
- gain employment
- access early childhood services.
It also does not fund supports that were previously funded by state and territory governments that do not provide direct care, such as:
- state advocacy information
- alternative forms of communication.
For the full list of services funded and not funded under the DSOA Program, read section 4 of the DSOA Program Manual.
Services for special needs groups
The program provides services that meet the diverse needs of our population. This includes:
- people from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities
- people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds
- people who live in rural and remote areas
- people who are financially or socially disadvantaged
- veterans
- people who are, or are at risk of becoming, homeless
- people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex
- people who are care leavers
- parents separated from children by forced adoption or removal.
Suspension of services
Suspension of services is when a client stops receiving the program services for a while.
When a client stops receiving services for a short time (under 3 months), you should review their services when they return.
When a client stops receiving services for longer than 3 months, this may affect your funding. You must notify your Funding Arrangement Manager in writing as soon as possible.
Interaction with other programs
The DSOA interacts with various other aged care programs. These include:
- the Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP)
- residential aged care
- the Home Care Packages (HCP) Program
- supports for people with dementia
- the Transition Care Programme
- the Short-Term Restorative Care Programme.
For how these programs interact with DSOA, read section 11 of the DSOA Program Manual.