Community aged care services in Australia are undergoing major change. With the introduction of Consumer Directed Care (CDC), older adults who are eligible for assistance have control over spending their individual budget on services and can choose a service provider in an open, competitive market. One important question is whether a marketised service system might...

Australia’s approach to providing care for older adults living at home has recently undergone radical change, under the banner of Consumer Directed Care. Aged care clients now have individual choice and control of their government-subsidised Home Care Packages. An action research study was undertaken to track the challenges of introducing the new model of community...

How do older Australians develop the knowhow to devise lives they value in our increasingly complex society with its tsunami of information and plethora of choices? This small qualitative study found that older adults particularly valued the ‘knowhow’ that enables them to manage matters such as health and personal finances and to plan for challenges...

The study of a pilot program to support people with younger onset dementia in the Frankston area of outer Melbourne has found that the participants valued being involved in initiating and organising activities that they find meaningful and enjoyable, and having the chance to share their experience with others. The report poses some questions for...

Recognising the need for a respite service which provides real support and reassurance for carers of people with dementia, Brotherhood of St Laurence Aged Services devised the Short Break Stay program at the Banksia Community Respite Centre. There is clear evidence that the program, which provides a three-day stay for people with advanced dementia in...