Older residents across the region who rely on home care have been given four more years of certainty, after the Federal Government extended the Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP) to 30 June 2029. But Uralla Shire Mayor Robert Bell says the extension alone will not fix a funding model he argues is already falling behind demand.
CHSP provides entry level support like cleaning and meals, allowing older people to stay at home for longer. Uralla Shire Council is one of many local councils in smaller areas that provide the CHSP service for the benefit of their residents, while commercial providers operate in other areas, including Australian Unity who took over the Inverell service previously provided by McLean Care in April.
“This announcement provides much-needed certainty for councils that deliver vital aged care services and, most importantly, for the older people who rely on them to remain living independently in their own homes,” Mayor Bell said.
“In Uralla Shire, Council’s Community Care Service plays a critical role in helping older residents remain active, connected and living safely in their own homes through services including transport, social support and assistance with daily living.”
Mayor Bell said the funding extension was particularly important for regional communities, where councils often play a critical role in filling service gaps and ensuring residents can continue to access support close to home.
“For many of our older residents, Uralla Community Care is more than a service provider, it is a lifeline that enables them to stay connected to their community, attend medical appointments and maintain their independence.”
The extension, announced by the Federal Government on 20 August, will give certainty to around 830,000 older Australians who use CHSP services and the roughly 1,300 providers, including councils, not for profit organisations and community groups, who deliver them.
The government said councils and other providers had cited uncertainty as a reason for withdrawing from the program in the past, and that contracts would now continue without interruption until 2029. It confirmed CHSP will remain a standalone program rather than being folded into Support at Home, though it plans to consult this year on the program’s long term future, including block funding arrangements and how early intervention services can ease pressure elsewhere in the aged care system.
“I know how much this program means to older Australians, their families and communities,” said Minister for Health and Ageing Mark Butler.
“We have listened to the feedback people have given us about CHSP, and we’re giving providers and older Australians the certainty they need to continue while the future of the program is developed.”
Minister for Aged Care and Seniors Sam Rae said the government had made a point of listening to the sector before deciding the program’s future.
“We said we would listen before we made decisions about the future of this program. Providers told us they needed certainty to keep their doors open, and older people told us they wanted continuity, and we’ll continue to listen as we deliver the program people want into the future,” Minister Rae said.
“Block funded, community based services do something Support at Home was never designed to do, they keep people well and independent before they need more intensive support. There is a continuing role for that system and we are going to design it properly, with the people who deliver it and the people who use it.”
National Seniors Australia has also welcomed the extension, with the advocacy group’s Director of Policy and Research Dr Brendon Radford arguing the reprieve should be used to rethink the home care system rather than simply lock in what already exists.
“Older Australians need assurance the practical supports they rely on, for example cleaning, transport, meals, social support, or other early interventions will continue to be available,” Dr Radford said.
“Rather than beginning with the assumption that existing programs simply need to be brought together, we should ask what combination of services will best help older Australians remain healthy, independent and living at home for longer, and how those services can be delivered as efficiently and affordably as possible.”
Mayor Bell said Council backed the Local Government NSW push for the CHSP to be retained and modernised, but wanted the extension used to fix funding levels he said had not kept pace with an ageing regional population and rising delivery costs.
“Our current CHSP funding levels do not align with the growing demand for services across Uralla Shire,” Mayor Bell said.
“The extension of the program provides an ideal opportunity for the Commonwealth to renegotiate funding agreements so they better reflect actual service demand, population needs and the higher costs of delivering aged care services in regional communities.
“Without funding that keeps pace with demand, councils like Uralla are increasingly being asked to do more with the same resources. That is simply not sustainable in the long term.”
“This is a welcome step forward, but more work is needed to ensure funding keeps pace with community needs and that older Australians living in regional areas continue to receive the quality services they deserve,” Mayor Bell said.
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