Special Needs Groups Resource Lists

Special needs groups – resource lists

Aged Care Act 1997 - Special needs groups Under the Aged Care Act 1997, people with special needs include people who identify with or belong to one or more of the following groups:  people from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities;  people from non-English speaking (culturally and linguistically diverse) backgrounds;  people who live in rural or remote areas;  people who are financially or socially disadvantaged;  people who are veterans, including the spouse, widow or widower of a veteran;  people who are homeless, or at risk of becoming homeless;  people who are care leavers; and/or  people from the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex community. While not a separate special needs group under the legislation, all home care providers should also have policies and practices that address the provision of care for people with dementia. Commonwealth HACC - Special needs groups Within the Commonwealth HACC target population there are some groups of people who face greater challenges in receiving adequate, appropriate and accessible services. The Commonwealth HACC Program Manual list the following as special needs groups:  people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds  Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people  people with dementia  financially disadvantaged people  people living in remote or isolated areas. For the purposes of the recent HACC funding round, the following additional special needs groups were listed:  veterans  people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless  care leavers  lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people  parents separated from their children by forced adoption or removal ACAR: Applicants must be able to demonstrate that they have established links and working relationships with one or more of these special needs groups, as well as the capacity to provide appropriate care and support.

Home Care Package Guidelines  All home care providers are expected to have policies and practices in place to ensure services are accessible to people with special needs. Providers should have regard to consumer diversity, taking into account consumers’ individual interests, customs, beliefs and backgrounds. Providers should also work collaboratively with advocacy services and specialist service providers for people from special needs groups, where appropriate.  People on a waiting list do not necessarily access care purely on a “first come, first served” basis. Home care providers are encouraged to assess

ACS NSW & ACT - Special needs groups – resource lists, March 2014 1

each individual’s care needs relative to others also waiting for home care. They must also take into account any conditions of allocation for the package, including priority of access for people from special needs groups.  Sub contracting/ brokering - Home care providers should also endeavour to build relationships with other organisations that specialise in providing services to people from special needs groups. Some consumers may request or prefer service providers that work with, or are from, the same special needs group.

Home Care Standards – references to special needs groups

EO 1.4: COMMUNITY UNDERSTANDING AND ENGAGEMENT The service provider understands and engages with the community in which it operates and reflects this in service planning and development. Practices and processes To deliver appropriate services to meet the needs of service users, service providers need to understand the community in which they operate and their target population, and use this information to plan and develop services. Practices and processes that support community understanding and engagement include:  Meeting the needs of people most in need of services, who are most disadvantaged and who have limited access to services due to cultural and linguistic barriers or special needs such as sensory loss or dementia  Engaging service users, including special-needs groups and the community, in service development and management

EO 1.8: PHYSICAL RESOURCES The service provider manages physical resources to ensure the safe delivery of care and services to service users and organisation personnel Practices and processes  Consideration of special-needs groups, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, people with dementia, people with a mental illness, people living in remote or isolated areas, people who are financially or socially disadvantaged, people with disabilities, veterans, people who are homeless or at risk of being homeless and care leavers (people who have experienced institutional care, such as orphans and child migrants)

EO 2.1: SERVICE ACCESS Each service user’s access to services is based on consultation with the service user (and/or their representative), equity, consideration of available resources and program eligibility What the quality reviewers may look at:  Information for special-needs groups

EO 2.2: ASSESSMENT Each service user participates in an assessment appropriate to the complexity of their needs and with consideration of their cultural and linguistic diversity. Practices and processes  Consideration of special-needs groups

EO 2.3: CARE PLAN DEVELOPMENT AND DELIVERY Each service user and/or their representative participates in the development of a care/service plan that is based on assessed needs, and is provided with the care and/or services described in their plan. Practices and processes  Consideration of special-needs groups

EO 3.1: INFORMATION PROVISION Each service user, or prospective service user, is provided with information (initially and on an ongoing basis) in a format appropriate to their needs to assist them to make service choices and gain an understanding of the services available to them and their rights and responsibilities. Practices and processes  Consideration of special-needs groups

EO 3.2: PRIVACY AND CONFIDENTIALITY Each service user’s right to privacy, dignity and confidentiality is respected including in the collection, use and disclosure of personal information Practices and processes  Consideration of special-needs groups

EO 3.3: COMPLAINTS AND SERVICE USER FEEDBACK Complaints and service user feedback are dealt with fairly, promptly, confidentially and without retribution Practices and processes Consideration of special-needs groups

EO 3.4: ADVOCACY Each service user’s (and/or their representative’s) choice of advocate is respected by the service provider and the service provider will, if required, assist the service user (and/or their representative) to access an advocate Practices and processes  Consideration of special-needs groups

EO 3.5: INDEPENDENCE The independence of service users is supported, fostered and encouraged. Practices and processes  Consideration of special-needs groups

Resources available to assist providers in their planning to support people from special needs groups.

 Review ABS Census Data for an understanding of the local population http://www.abs.gov.au/  Local Council websites have local demographic information and most Councils have developed Social Plans which include issues relevant to the local population  The Department of Health (old DoHA) website have a range of statistics and tools which are useful for service planning http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/ageing-stats- lapp.htm

People from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities  Learn about the traditional inhabitants of the area and if there are historically and culturally significant Aboriginal sites in the area.  Engage with local Aboriginal community groups.  The ACS Aboriginal HACC Development Officers have compiled a list of useful links to information and resources that may assist community organisations to engage with their local Aboriginal communities. These resources and tools have been developed by other government and non- government organisations and we have found them to be informative and user friendly. http://www.agedservices.asn.au/docs/community-care-documents/resource- kit-final-v2.docx?sfvrsn=0

 The ACS Aboriginal HACC Development Officers have also put together useful information on Torres Strait Islander people http://www.agedservices.asn.au/docs/community-care-documents/torres- strait-islander.docx?sfvrsn=0

 NSW Aboriginal Community Care Gathering Committee policy position Challenge, Change and Choice. This includes guiding principles and recommendations on topics that are important to the improvement of services to Aboriginal people in community care. http://ncoss.org.au/resources/120704-challenge-change-choice.pdf

People from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds  The Partners in Culturally Appropriate Care (PICAC) Program, was developed to improve the capacity of aged care services to respond to the differing needs of older people from culturally and linguistically diverse communities. Through the PICAC projects there is an organisation funded in each State and Territory to provide this support through a PICAC project.

PICAC coordinators work to improve the partnership between aged care providers, CALD communities and the Australian Government Department of

Health and Ageing to ensure that aged care service providers are informed on best practice in the delivery of culturally appropriate care. The website contains a range of resources and demographic information. http://picacnsw.org.au/

Multilingual translations of Ageing and Aged Care Division publications into community languages on Department of Health (old DoHA) website http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/ageing- publicats-multi.htm-copy2

 National Ageing and Aged Care Strategy for People from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) Backgrounds http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/ageing-cald- national-aged-care-strategy  Multicultural Access and equity: Strengthening connections between communities and services (FECCA) http://www.fecca.org.au/images/stories/documents/Submissions/2013/fecca_ multicultural_access_equity_report_june2013.pdf - includes good practice recommendations

People from rural or remote areas  Caring for the country: A spotlight on the needs of older people who live in rural and remote NSW (Ministerial Advisory Committee on Ageing 2000) Whilst this report is not getting a bit old, it provides a good overview of the issues facing older people in rural and remote areas. http://www.maca.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0019/141526/Caring_for_ the_country.pdf

 Living with dementia in regional NSW - Alzheimer’s Australia 2013 http://www.fightdementia.org.au/common/files/NSW/20131113-NSW-PUB- Dementia_in_regional_NSW.pdf provides information on the challenges people with dementia, carers and service providers’ face in regional, rural and remote NSW

People who are financially or socially disadvantaged The Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA) outlines the relative disadvantage and advantage in an area according to a Collection Districts (CD) score. ABS, SEIFA Data cube, 2006, released 26 March 2008. If the score is above the mean, it means it is an area of relative advantage, if below – relative disadvantage. Consider developing an Equity of Access Policy AIHW - Socio-economic disadvantage and health http://www.aihw.gov.au/socio- economic-disadvantage-and-health/ Health and social disadvantage - ABS http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/[email protected]/Lookup/4102.0Main+Features30M ar+2010 Veterans

The Aged Care Act 1997 has a broad definition for this special needs group and may include married women and allied forces veterans.

 ‘Special Needs’ status for the veteran community in Australian Government aged care planning - DVA Factsheet HSV 08 – provides good summary of health and aged care trends for veterans, social and cultural characteristics and providing for veterans’ ‘Special Needs’ http://factsheets.dva.gov.au/factsheets/documents/HSV08%20Special %20Needs%20Status%20in%20Aged%20Care%20Planning%20Explained %20for%20Members%20of%20the%20Veteran%20Community.htm  DVA - ACPAC submissions – provide good summary information and statistics: http://www.dva.gov.au/service_providers/aged_care_issues/Pages/index.aspx  Legacy provides information on support needs of widows: http://www.legacy.com.au/Protectingageingandvulnerablewidows

People who are homeless, or at risk of becoming homeless  ABS 2006 Census and AIHW, Counting the Homeless 2006, 2009  Homelessness Taskforce, Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, The Road Home-A National Approach to Reducing Homelessness, 2008 http://www.dss.gov.au/our-responsibilities/housing-support/programs- services/homelessness/the-road-home-the-australian-government-white-paper-on- homelessness-0

 Link with Assistance with Care and Housing for the Aged (ACHA) Providers they are a good local resource -http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/ageing- commcare-acha-providers.htm  Homelessness Australia - http://www.homelessnessaustralia.org.au/ - lots of resources and statistics  Homelessness and Older People Fact Sheet http://www.homelessnessaustralia.org.au/images/publications/Fact_Sheets/H omelessness_and_Older_People.pdf

People from Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex communities  National Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex (LGBTI) Ageing and Aged Care Strategy and consultation report http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/lgbti- ageing-and-aged-care-strategy  National LGBTI Health Alliance provides and range of information and links to a resources http://www.lgbthealth.org.au/ageing Care leavers and parents separated from their children by forced adoption or removal  Alliance for Forgotten Australians - http://www.forgottenaustralians.org.au/

 Forgotten Australians Booklets has some useful strategies - http://www.forgottenaustralians.org.au/PDF/MiniAfaBooklet.pdf  Care Leavers Australia Network (CLAN) - http://www.clan.org.au/

 Commonwealth Contribution to Former Forced Adoption Policies and Practices http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Community_Affairs /Completed_inquiries/2010-13/commcontribformerforcedadoption/report/index Particularly Chapter 4 Effects of forced adoption

People with dementia

 Australian Journal of Dementia Care - February/March 2014 Breaking the language barrier p. 12-13 - Residential aged care providers don’t need to be multilingual to communicate effectively with non-English speaking people with dementia. All that’s needed are some simple strategies and language communication tools writes Hendrika Johnson  Alzheimer’s Australia have multiple publications and resources http://www.fightdementia.org.au/research-and-publications.aspx