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:
- the CHSP Manual, which includes case studies on how reablement works in practice
- our Reablement fact sheet
- the final evaluation report.
Contact
