BCH and ARRCH welcome CHSP extension
ARRCH welcomes extension of Commonwealth Home Support Program
The Alliance of Rural & Regional Community Health (ARRCH) welcomes the Federal Government’s decision to delay changes to the Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP), providing certainty for older Australians and the community-based organisations that support them. The announcement extends CHSP as a standalone program until 2029.
The Commonwealth Home Support Program is an entry-level aged care program providing practical support to help people remain independent as they age.
Rather than individual funding packages, as occurs under Support at Home, CHSP funding is provided directly to community organisations, allowing services to be delivered flexibly at a local level. This includes subsidised meals, support with shopping, domestic assistance, home maintenance, and social support services.
ARRCH Chair Sean Duffy said this decision was welcome recognition of the important role community-based support plays in helping older Australians stay well and independent.
“CHSP works because it provides practical support early, before people reach crisis point. For many older Australians, assistance with allied health, meals, cleaning, shopping or home maintenance can be the difference between remaining safely at home or needing more intensive support.”
“Community health services work closely with people in their homes and communities and can see when someone’s needs are changing. It’s important that the aged care system retains the flexibility to respond to those needs quickly and appropriately.”
“The challenge with a one-size-fits-all approach is that it can create barriers for people who need relatively simple support. We need an aged care system that recognises the value of early intervention and makes it easy for people to access help when they need it.”
ARRCH is a network of nine regional Victorian community health organisations working to reduce health inequity and improve community wellbeing. Community health services engage and support people on their terms, in their homes, in their communities, and in places where they feel safe and respected and has done for 50 years.
The CHSP program is a crucial part of delivery this care. It provides practical, preventative support that helps people maintain their independence within their communities. Importantly, it also addresses many of the social determinants of health that influence wellbeing as people age, reducing pressure on hospitals, residential aged care and other parts of the health system.
While ARRCH welcomes the extension, it will continue to advocate for increased investment in CHSP and preventative healthcare services that keep older Australians living independently for longer.
“For some organisations in the ARRCH network, federally- funded CHSP service targets have remained largely unchanged for almost 10 years,” Mr Duffy said. “At the same time, demand from an ageing population continues to grow by between 10 and 15 per cent each year.
“This extension provides important certainty, but it must now be backed by investment that reflects the growing demand for services. Supporting people earlier and closer to home is good for older Australians, good for communities and good for the sustainability of the health system.”
ARRCH includes Bellarine Community Health, Ballarat Community Health, Bendigo Community Health Services, Omnia Community Health, Grampians Community Health, Northern District Community Health, Gippsland Lakes Complete Health, Primary Care Connect and Sunraysia Community Health Services.
Learn more about ARRCH here.
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