Experts share CHSP opportunities
There’s plenty to be optimistic about, despite the impending challenges for Commonwealth Home Support Program providers, Lorraine Poulos tells Community Care Review.
The collection of contribution fees is among the challenges Commonwealth Home Support Program providers are going to face from July next year, says home care expert Lorraine Poulos.
Ms Poulos was among speakers at this week’s National CHSP Conference at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne. The two-day event attracted around 380 in-person and online delegates to discuss the changes coming to the CHSP program – which supports more than 800,000 older people with low level services – and solutions to address them.
“There has to be a mindset change with the older population around contributing to their care,” Ms Poulos told Community Care Review at the event.
However, there are plenty of things within the control of providers, said Ms Poulos, as well as several opportunities.
“Number one, it’s a growing market. So if they can get their processes and systems as efficiently as possible, between now and 2027, they’ve got a huge opportunity,” said Ms Poulos said, who is managing director of aged care consultancy and training company LPA.
There are also steps providers can take today to address the challenges, starting with scenario planning, she said.
Here Ms Poulos discusses the opportunities, challenges and key steps that CHSP providers can take today:
Revisit regulatory obligations
Chief among the changes is that for the first time the operation and regulation of CHSP services and providers will come under the new Aged Care Act.
As reported, Aged Care Quality and Safety Commissioner Janet Anderson discussed the regulatory impact of these changes at the conference on Wednesday.
“CHSP providers have got some homework to do now ahead of 1 July,” LPA general manager Marisa Galiazzo told CCR.
“First they can check they have systems in place to uphold and support the rights of all the individuals receiving their aged care services,” she said among four key areas providers should revisit now.
Providers should also check they have continuous improvement processes and practices in place to continually enhance the quality of their care and their services, Ms Galiazzo said.
“They can also engage in some refresher training around the aged care Code of Conduct and also incident management and complaints because all providers are going to have these systems in place to ensure they’re addressed properly and appropriately.”
Community Care Review is a media partner of the National CHSP Conference
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