Reablement care trial for the Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP)

We are trialling reablement care approaches among CHSP providers in selected regions. The trial will give us a better idea of how these approaches help senior Australians stay independent for longer. Find out how it affects CHSP providers.

About the trial

The reablement trial is a 2-year trial (to June 2020) of using reablement approaches among CHSP providers in 19 selected regions across Australia.

It is part of a $29.2 million Budget measure called Better Ageing – Promoting Independent Living. The measure formed part of the 2018–19 Budget.

Reablement delivers services for a short time, to get a person independent again. It does not deliver ongoing services.

Why it is important

Reablement is already the cornerstone of the CHSP. We require all CHSP providers to use a wellness, reablement or restorative care approach to care.

But we know that providers, assessors and consumers still have different views of what reablement means. These differences mean:

  • senior Australians might receive variable service levels
  • opportunities for older Australians to get their skills, confidence and independence back might be missed
  • people might need more expensive, complex services earlier than they otherwise might

Goals

The trial will test a reablement-focused assessment model to see whether it:

  • provides measurably better outcomes for clients
  • reduces or delays the need for more complex aged care services

Meeting our goals

We will trial a reablement-focused assessment model where assessors use a ‘show me’ (active) assessment. Clients demonstrate how they undertake certain tasks to better understand their limitations and identify risks.

This assessment model provides a time-limited reablement period (10 to 12 weeks) before deciding whether a client needs ongoing services.

The trial provides participants with extra funding for basic aids, equipment, assistive technologies, and time-limited allied health services.

As part of this trial, we will develop a National Reablement Workforce Strategy. It will include an online community of practice, e-learning modules, and a training facilitator toolkit.

Who we works with

Australian Healthcare Associates is now evaluating the trial, to identify gaps and issues that we can fix. This will support service providers to consistently include reablement approaches in their day-to-day work.

We are working with CHSP providers in the following 19 Aged Care Planning Regions:

New South Wales

  • Far North Coast
  • Illawarra
  • Mid North Coast
  • New England
  • Southern Highlands
  • South Eastern Sydney

Queensland

  • Darling Downs
  • Fitzroy
  • Mackay
  • Northern

South Australia

  • Metropolitan East
  • Metropolitan North
  • Metropolitan South
  • Riverland
  • South East

Tasmania

  • Northern
  • North Western
  • Southern

Northern Territory

  • Darwin

Related information

For more information on reablement, see:

Contact

Commonwealth Home Support Programme contact

Contact us with general enquiries about the Commonwealth Home Support Programme.
Date last updated:

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