August 31, 2018This year marks a major milestone for Northern Health Home Care Packages (NHHCP).
The program will be celebrating its 30 year anniversary of providing in-home support to older people and people with disabilities, with the aim of assisting them to remain in their homes and chosen community for as long as possible.
It all began in 1988, when NHHCP were called the Bundoora Community Care Program, located at what was previously named Bundoora Extended Care Centre.
The program was a trial funded by State and Federal Governments to assist people at home, rather than having to enter residential care prematurely. This was the beginning of the ‘Linkages’ program.
Initially, the program had 74 Linkages packages and later became a part of Northern Health, when it was established in 2000. Since then, Northern Health has been dedicated to providing quality case management and services to improve people’s quality of life and overall wellness at home.
By 2014, the program included 185 Linkages Packages, 77 Community Aged Care Packages (CACP) and 41 Extended Aged Care at Home Packages (EACH). CACP and EACH packages were eventually renamed as what we now go by, Home Care Packages, as part of the Australian Government ‘living longer, living better’ aged care reforms.
Julie Williams, Manager of Northern Health Home Care Packages, says the program has grown by over 70%, to include a total of 202 Home Care Packages with 26 staff.
“It’s quite an achievement, as we were one of the original pilot programs,” she said.
