Community Aged Care Packages CACP

Program Name: Community Aged Care Package CACP

Program Description:
CACPs are individually planned and coordinated packages of community aged care services, targeted at frail older people who prefer living in the community but who require management of services because of their complex care needs. These people must be eligible for at least low-level residential care. Those who require high level care will instead be referred for an EACH package or similar

CACPs are designed for frail older people (considered to be aged 70 years and older and 50 years and over for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people) living in the community who would be assessed by an ACAT (if they applied for residential care) as eligible to receive at least low-level residential aged care and who have:

• complex care needs arising from physical, social and psychological needs
• a need for comprehensive management of care services
• a preference to remain living in the community with appropriate supports
• a need for ongoing monitoring and review of changing care needs
• he ability to live in the community with appropriate community care.
• There are no citizenship or residency restrictions on accessing a CACP. CACPs are intended for ongoing care not temporary care.

 

There are no citizenship or residency restrictions on accessing a CACP. CACPs are intended for ongoing care not temporary care.

 

Service types available under this program:

 

• Advocacy
• Allied Health * Nursing
• Case Management
• Housework
• Information and Advice
• Lawn and Garden Maintenance
• Meal Preparation
• Medication Monitoring
• Personal Care
• Respite - In Home
• Shopping - Assisted
• Shopping - Unassisted
• Social Support
• Transportation

 

Funded By: Australian Government
Department of Health and Ageing

 

Eligibility Criteria: To access a CACP older people must first be assessed by an ACAT as requiring the type and level of assistance a package delivers. Section 5.6 of the Approval of Care Recipients Principles 1997 states that a person is eligible to receive community care only if he or she:

• is assessed as having complex care needs
• would be assessed, if the person applied for residential care, as eligible to receive at least a low level of residential care
• prefers to remain living at home
• is able to remain living at home with the support of community care.

Cost to Clients:  A care recipient can be asked to pay a fee for a community care package. For a care recipient receiving the aged pension, the maximum fee which can be charged is 17.5% of the basic rate of single pension.

 

People on higher incomes may be asked to pay additional fees (limited to 50% of any income above the basic rate of single pension). However, no one will be denied a service they need, based on an inability to pay fees.

 

The maximum fee for community care packages changes each March and September, in line with changes to the pension.

 

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