Commonwealth Home Support Program - CHSP
The CHSP helps our elders stay independent and in their home and community for longer.
From 1st July 2015, the Commonwealth Home Support Programme brings together the:
- Commonwealth Home and Community Care (HACC) Programme
- Planned respite from the National Respite for Carers Programme (NRCP)
- Day Therapy Centres (DTC) Programme
- Assistance with Care and Housing for the Aged.
The amalgamation of programmes is supported by My Aged Care through:
- a central client record to allow client information to be appropriately shared with assessors and service providers
- a consistent, streamlined assessment process
- better access to relevant and accurate information (for clients, carers and family members, service providers and assessors)
- appropriate referrals for assessments and services.
These supports will improve client outcomes by providing more consistent and integrated care.
Some facts about the CHSP
- It delivers services to more than 500,000 older people nationwide
- Common services include domestic assistance, planned respite and meals
- Yo receive services you will need to contact the My Aged Care contact centre who will organise a home support assessment (conducted by the Regional Assessment Service).
Tharawal is now a service provider for the Commonwealth Home Support Program.
We have two service types; Social Support Individual and Social Support Group for
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people 50 years and over.
Being healthy, physically active and socially engaged throughout your life has many benefits,
especially as you grow older.
Joining a local group or taking part in regular social activities with family, friends and neighbours is a good way to keep our elders involved and connected with the community.
There are also social support services that can help our elders maintain an active social life by having someone visit them in their home,
or by arranging visits and outings in the community.
Social Support - Group
Social Support Group is to assist frail, elder people to participate in community life and feel socially included through structured, group-based activities that develop, maintain or support independent living and social interaction. Social support group provides an opportunity for clients to attend and participate in social interactions which are conducted away from the client’s home. Tharawal currently have structured activities which provide a group-based environment and are designed to develop, maintain and support social interaction and independent living.
Group Activities we currently offer:
- Koori Community Kitchen and Community Garden
- Good Tucker Volunteering
- Women’s only Lyrebird Aqua Class
- Lyrebird Line Dancing
- Sponsorship for the Elders Olympics
- Walking Group (Commencing soon)
- Lyrebird Exercise class
Activities may include light refreshments and associated transport and personal assistance involved in attendance at the centre.
Social Support - Individual
Social support-individual is assistance provided by a companion to an individual, either within the home environment or while accessing community services, which is primarily directed towards meeting the person’s need for social contact and/or company in order to participate in community life. Tharawal’s workers assist frail, older people to participate in community life and feel socially included through meeting their need for social contact and company
Services include:
- Taking our elders to visit services
- Telephone and web-based monitoring services (including other technologies that help connect older people to their community e.g. to assist people with sensory impairments
- Accompanied activities (such as assisting the person through accompanied shopping, bill paying, attendance at appointments and other related activities).
We currently support many of our Elders though if you would like to participate or refer a new client in this initiative you will need go through the My Aged Care (MAC) assessment team. You can call 1800 200 422 on your clients behalf and the MACS team will assess them and refer them to our services and potentially others if need be.