Overview

The Home and Community Care (HACC) program provides services and care for frail older people living at home and their carers. It provides services and support that frail older people need to remain in the community rather than moving into a residential aged care facility.
The range of services available includes:-

• Home Help - help with cleaning, cooking, banking, washing etc
• Personal Care - bathing and dressing
• Food Services - meals on wheels, help with shopping
• Community Respite - to give carers a break from their role
• Home Maintenance and/or Modification - assistance to maintain a person's home or yard to keep it safe
• Transport - assistance with individual transport needs

Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care (NSW)

Responsible for services concerning older people, those with a disability and their carers in NSW. Services include intellectual disability support, community support, respite care, chils and adult accommodation, early intervention for developmental delay. Also housekeeping and personal care for disabled young people and the aged, living -in, live-in emergency housekeeping, essential shopping and other home based service.

Level 13, 83 Clarence St, Sydney NSW 2000
Phone: (02) 8270 2000
Website: www.dadhc.nsw.gov.au

Home and Community Care Information Service

Information and referral on Home and Community Care services in the Macarthur area for people who are frail aged, people with disabilities and their carers.

Macarthur Disability Services
PO Box 284 Campbelltown 2560
Freecall: 1800 683 232
Phone: (02) 4621 8400
Email: hacc@mds.ideal.net.au

Falls Prevention in the Home - Advice for Patients

Most Common Causes are poor health, poor vision and lighting, environmental hazards, poor footwear, tiredness, poor balance, poor strength, and activity.

Non Environmental Precautions

• Have regular eye and medical checkups
• Monitor medications and be aware of any possible side effects
• Exercise regularly
• Make haste slowly, don't rush
• Avoid wearing floppy slippers, thongs, scuffs or socks with no shoes
• When entering or leaving light or dark areas, allow time dor your eyes to adjust

Maintaining your Home Outside

• Repair any cracks, uneven joins or pavers.
• Keep walkways clear of obstructions, trim grass and shrubs and keep swept.
• Apply non slip strips (of contrasting colour) to steps.
• Store away hoses and tools.
• Use a washing basket trolley to avoid carrying heavy awkward loads.
• Keep the driveway free of oil and grease.

Lighting Precautions

• Keep your home well lit with frosted or pearl (75-100 watt) globes to reduce glare.
• If renovating, locate light switches near doors and at both ends of halls and stairs.
• Place a touch lamp beside your bed to avoid getting up in the dark.

Bathroom and Toilet

• Handrails may be helpful for getting into and out of the shower or bath. Also up and down off toilet. Contact Macarthur Home Maintenance and Modifications for a home assessment.
• Shower caddies are useful to keep items close by to avoid reaching.
• Non slip mats in the shower or bath are an added precaution.
• The actual shower or bath floor surface can be treated with non slip agents.
• Any steps into the shower (regardless of height) should be removed.
• A shower chair or bath seat may be useful if you tire while bathing.
• Never use toels rails, toilet roll dispensers, taps or shower screens to steady yourself or as a support. They simply are not stable enough.

General Flooring

• Replace worn/rippled/torn carpet and vinyl/linoleum (shallow pile carpet is best).
• Apply non slip surfaces to wooden, tiled, vinyl or linoleum floors. Many products are available See a professional.
• Remove rugs or secure their edges to the floor.
• Avoid changes in levels between floor surfaces.
• Cleaning agents turn even nonslip surfaces into slippery ones. Remember to rinse floors thoroughly when cleaning.

General Indoor Precautions

• Avoid having castors on furniture.
• Keep all chairs pushed in under tables.
• Store frequently used items in cupboards between knee and shoulder height.
• Doors may be made lighter by renovating automatic door closers.
• Drawers and cupboard doors should easily open. This may mean removing magnetic and similar clips.
• Keep all cords tucked away from walkways.
• Keep all walkways wide and clear of obstructions.
• Place a phone by the bed to avoid having to rush to the phone at night. It is also added security.

Contact Macarthur Home Maintenance and Modifications, the Aged Care Assessment Team, or your local Community Health Centre for a home assessment.

Home Care Service of NSW

The Home Care Service of NSW provides assistance with general housework, personal care, shopping, in home respite and some handyman tasks for frail or at risk aged persons, moderately or severely disabled persons and their carers. Service access is based on relative need and resources available. While customers usually contribute what they can to the cost of Home Care, those who cannot pay are not denied service.

South Western Sydney Service Centre
(Home Care Services to the Liverpool and Macarthur Local Government Areas)
Level 3, Suite 4
171-179 Queen Street
Campbelltown 2560
PO Box 1009 Campbelltown 2560
Phone: (02) 4633 2111, or 1800 350 792
Fax: (02) 4633 2100
Email: bm@homecare.nsw.gov.au
Website: www.homecare.nsw.gov.au

Aboriginal Home Care
Warrambucca Community Care Packages
Phone: (02) 4645 6020

Warrambucca Home Care Service

Warrambucca is the aboriginal unit of Macarthur Home Care. It provides a culturally appropriate service to assist clients with housework, personal care, shopping and respite services. Clients are asked to contribute what they can toward cost of service.

Warrambucca Aboriginal Home Care
171-179 Queen Street
Campbelltown 2560
Phone: (02) 4645 6020
Fax: (02) 4625 0503

Postal Address
PO Box 1053
Campbelltown 2560

Meals on Wheels

A hot lunch time meal plus dessert, fruit juice or piece of fruit is home delivered Monday to Friday by volunteer workers. A small charge is made. A weekend service may be available in special circumstances.

Camden Meals on Wheels

Unit 1/18c Little Street
PO Box 401 Camden NSW 2570
Phone: (02) 4655 6822
Fax: (02) 4655 6195

Campbelltown Meals on Wheels
Campbelltown Meals on Wheels and Housebound Resource Service Inc operates the services for people who are frail aged, have a disability, and their carers, to enable people to continue to live comfortably and independently in their own homes.
Campbelltown Meals on Wheels is managed by a community based volunteer committee which is elected annually. The day to day operations are carried out by paid staff, but many of the services are provided by volunteers. Funding is provided by the Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care under the HACC program for the running costs of the service.
The services offered are:
Food Service: Hot or chilled meals delivered to the client's home 5 days a week, frozen meals are available for the weekend. Frozen meals delivered 1 day a week, the day of delivery being decided by the client.
Shopping Service: A shopper will call at the client's home, pick up a shopping list and the money, do the shopping at the nearest centre and return the goods to the client's home. In special circumstances a client may be taken shopping.
Housebound Library Service: A member of the library staff will assess the client in likes and dislikes of library books, tapes and videos. A Meals on Wheels volunteer will call each fortnight to deliver and pick up books, etc.
Visitor Service: A volunteer will visit a client in their home to relieve loneliness often felt in housebound people. The time of the visits is decided by the client.

91 Queen St Campbelltown 2560
PO Box 685 Campbelltown 2560
Phone: (02) 4645 4523, or (02) 4645 4406
Fax: (02) 4645 4426

Picton/Burragorang Meals on Wheels
School of Arts Building
65 Menangle St Picton
PO Box 74 Picton 2571
Phone: (02) 4677 2524
Fax: (02) 4677 2524

Warragamba/Silverdale Meals on Wheels
15 Weir Road, Warragamba
(02) 4774 2589
Email: warragamba@optusnet.com.au

Macarthur Community Options

The Community Options program assists disabled and older people who are frail and/or have moderate to severe disabilities to live in their own homes for as long as safely possible in preference to residential placement.

The program organises a package of services to suit a person's specific needs by either arranging care through existing community services and/or purchasing extra services on a person's behalf (brokerage).

The Community Options program is particularly able to assist those who have multiple, varied care requirements. A small fee on capacity to pay applies.

Shop 3, Milgate Arcade
157 Queen St Campbelltown 2560
PO Box 1053 Campbelltown 2560
Phone:(02) 4628 3143
Fax: (02) 4627 0098
Email: mcop@ideal.net.au

Home Maintenance and Modifications

This scheme is funded to assist the elderly and the young disabled with a range of home maintenance and modification work. You must be a home owner or, in some circumstances, a private renter. The aim of this service is to make a home a safer place where independence can be maintained for longer and premature admission into a hostel or nursing home can be prevented.

Examples of jobs include installing ramps, rails, electrical or plumbing work, changes to the bathroom (hob removal), toilet, kitchen, furniture modifications (adjusting chair heights, door widening, etc. Home maintenance activity includes lock repairs, replacing insect screen wire, globe replacement, etc.

Advice is free but you are required to pay for the cost of materials and a small hourly labour cost. Sometimes this service will ask for an Occupational Therapy assessment of the home to be conducted so that appropriate recommendations are made before work is carried out.

Please Note:
Department of Housing tenants who require modifications need to contact their client services officer. The Department of Housing pays for any home modifications that are needed if changes are recommended by an Occupational Therapist.

Macarthur Home Maintenance and Modification Service
Camden Hospital, Broughton St Camden 2570
PO Box 99 Camden 2570
Phone: (02) 4655 3263
Fax: (02) 4655 8937

Lawn Mowing

Organised by Macarthur Home Maintenance and Modification Service.
Eligibility: Any frail or disabled person without a carer.
There are 18 services per year mowing and trimming a standard 1/4 acre block.
Cost: $15 per service payable direct to the contractor.
Contact: (02) 4655 7423

South West (Macarthur) Community Transport

Community transport assists frail elderly or disabled adults when the use of public transport is unsuitable or impossible. Individual or group transport is available to medical/hospital appointments, Day Care and shopping centres. Some buses are wheelchair accessible. The service operates Monday to Friday and bookings in advance are required. Prices vary according to type of transport available. The Community Transport Scheme is government funded so that costs are cheaper.
Volunteer work is available as bus escorts or drivers.

South West Community Transport
Unit 3, Business Development Centre,
70 Topham Rd, Narellan NSW 2567
PO Box 617, Narellan NSW 2567

Phone: (02) 4629 6888 or 1300 138 794
Fax: (02) 4629 6800
Email: transport@swct.com.au
Website: www.macnet.com.au/communitytransport/index.htm

Kincare

Kincare is a private home care service, approved by the DVA. They provide nursing services, including wound management, asthma and diabetes care, medication supervision, continence management and palliative care. They also provide personal care, such as grooming, dressing, hair, make-up, personal hygiene (showering, toileting). They also provide home assistance, involving housework, laundry, meal preparation, transport for appointments and outings, shopping and bill paying and social activities.

PO Box 7607 Baulkham Hills NSW 2153
Phone: 1300 733 510
Fax: 1300 733 520
Email: mail@kincare.com.au
Website: www.kincare.com.au

Neighbour Aid

Caring volunteers provide assistance with shopping, transport to medical appointments, social outings, small odd jobs such as changing light bulbs or putting out bins and some gardening. They are also happy to visit just to chat.

Volunteers, who are trained, provide the service which means that the service can operate seven days a week (depending on availability of volunteers). Clients will be initially assessed by the coordinator. There is a small fee for some services.

Narellan Neighbour Aid
PO Box 96 Narellan 2567
(02) 4658 1040

Warragamba/Silverdale Neighbour Aid
(02) 4774 2589

Picton Neighbour Aid
Old School of Arts Building
65 Menangle Street
Picton 2571
(02) 4677 2695
Fax: (02) 4677 2695
Email: pna@ispdr.net.au

Campbelltown Neighbour Aid
BCS Community Centre - Harrington Park
Suite 6 Harrington Plaza
23 Fairwater Drive
Harrington Park  NSW  2567
Tel: 4648 7110
Web: www.bcs.org.au

Macarthur Dementia Care and Support Service

This service aims to improve care of those with dementia in the community. The service caters for carers by providing respite, regular contact with team members and co-ordinates a local carers support group. The service provides socialisation and stimulation for people with dementia and also provides programs suited to individual clients needs.

Macarthur Dementia Care and Support Service
Rosemeadow Community Health Centre
Phone: (02) 4655 2347
Fax: (02) 4655 7806
Email: nina.catalano@swsahs.nsw.gov.au
More information

Notes on Availability of Services

• Most, if not all, government funded community services require prospective clients to be assessed for eligibility for service. The eligibility criteria is imposed by the State and Commonwealth governments who fund the services.
• Most, if not all, community services as well as health services have waiting lists. For some services, the waiting list can be lengthy.
• Unless otherwise stated, all government funded community home support services charge fees for service. Clients are expected to contribute toward the cost of services provided. Most agencies have introduced means testing or standard fee rates.
• Private home-help services exist as an alternative to government funded service or as an interim measure. Costs vary, some are expensive depending on the type of assistance required. The Council On The Ageing Seniors Information Line can offer information on private domiciliary services. Telephone 131 244
• Private health professionals are also available (ie private nursing services, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech pathology, podiatry). For contact details see the Yellow Pages telephone directory under specific therapy required and/or contact the respective professional association.

Macarthur Home and Community Care Development Project

Outreach worker educates clients, carers, community and service providers about HACC services. Provides resources and assistance to existing services. Volunteer work is available in friendly, visiting, delivery of meals, relief caring, driving clients to appointments or shopping, assistance at activity centres.

PO Box 284 Campbelltown
Phone: (02) 4621 8425
Freecall: 1800 683 232
Fax: (02) 4628 4006

Tender Loving Cuisine

Tender Loving Cuisine is a non-profit home delivery meal service. Medical referral is not required. Some meals are approved by the National Heart Foundation. It is an alternative to Meals on Wheels and is not operated by HACC. Available to frail aged, disabled, carers and seniors. Delivery is free in the Sydney metropolitan area.

PO Box 5105 Sydney 2001
Freecall: 1800 801 200 (for menu and price list), or 1800 052 000
Office: (02) 9713 5355
Fax: 1800 801 222
Email: clientservices@tlc.org.au
Website: www.tlc.org.au