Premium
Consumer experiences of home care packages
Author(s) -
Russell Sarah Joan,
Siostrom Kristy,
Edwards Iain,
Srikanth Velandai
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
australasian journal on ageing
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.63
H-Index - 34
eISSN - 1741-6612
pISSN - 1440-6381
DOI - 10.1111/ajag.12771
Subject(s) - government (linguistics) , nursing , business , face (sociological concept) , assisted living , aging in place , public relations , marketing , medicine , gerontology , political science , sociology , social science , philosophy , linguistics
Objective The study aimed to explore consumers’ experiences of receiving a home care package (HCP). Methods Community engagement was used to recruit older people approved for a HCP. Data were collected through face‐to‐face interviews, and data analysis identified themes. Results Effective consumer‐directed care depends on access to reliable information. Participants who reported satisfactory experiences had: (a) providers that charged reasonable fees; (b) case managers who delivered person‐centred care; (c) support workers who were consistently assigned to them; (d) a family member for support and advocacy; and (5) ongoing community engagement. Conclusion Consumer experience requires tighter regulation of providers and policy attention to fees and minimal standards of staff training. The policy of full cost recovery restricts consumers’ access to local government services.