What is consumer directed care (CDC)?
Consumer directed care is the new model of providing care by offering consumers more choice and flexibility. Consumer directed care gives people who receive home care more control over the care and services package they receive, including how it is delivered and who provides it.
Home care packages are designed to help people who want to stay living at home for as long as possible and are provided on a consumer directed care basis.
What consumer directed care involves
This means you get to work together with your service provider to develop your care plan and choose the level of involvement you have in managing the care services given to you.
Consumer directed care also allows you to see how your home care funding is being spent through your personal budget with a monthly income and expense statement. This may help you see if you are getting the best price or decide if you need to make your funding go further.
Consumer directed care also ensure your service providers makes formal reviews to monitor your care and make sure that your package still meets your requirements.
If your needs have changed, you can undergo a reassessment to find out if you need to alter your package. If you cannot meet your care needs under your home care package budget, you may also need to be reassessed to see if you are eligible for a higher level of services. You may also need to use your own financial assets to cover the cost of your services.
History of consumer directed care
Consumer directed care for home care packages was first piloted by the Federal Government in 2010-11. From August 1, 2013, all new home care packages were then required to be delivered on a consumer directed care basis before being introduced for all packages from July 1, 2015.
In 2012, the Federal Government had identified the need to give people who receive care at home more control over their services under its Living Longer Living Better reforms for aged care.
From February 2017, consumer directed care will undergo further changes, with the funding for home care packages allocated directly to the person receiving care.
These packages will be portable so that consumers can change their service provider if they want to, and take their package with them if they move.
