Accessibility
Refers to the Australian Government policy that is aimed at ensuring that government services:

• are available to everyone who is entitled to them
• are free of discrimination and irrespective of a person’s country of birth, language, gender, disability, culture, race or religion
• take in to consideration the needs and differences of program participants.

Advocate
Advocacy is the process of standing alongside an individual who is disadvantaged, and speaking out on their behalf in a way that represents the best interests of that person

Aged care
Aged care is provided to frail older people and people with a disability who cannot live independently at home and who have been assessed as needing this care.

Care recipient
Refers to the person with a physical disability, mental illness/psychiatric disability, intellectual disability or are frail aged who requires the daily support of a carer to live in the community.

Carer
Defined as a person such as a family member, friend or neighbour, who provides regular or sustained care and assistance to a parent, partner, child, relative or friend who has a disability, is frail aged, or who has a chronic mental or physical illness without payment for their caring role (other than a pension or benefit).

Cessation
Cessation is said to occur when a client stops receiving assistance from a HACC service provider.

CFC
Care for Carers

Challenging behaviours
Means the type of behaviour exhibited is aggressive, disruptive, agitated or offensive (including inappropriate sexual) behaviour.

Domestic assistance
Domestic assistance is normally provided in the home, and includes services such as dishwashing, house cleaning, clothes washing, shopping and bill paying.

HACC Program
Home and Community Care Program is a cost-shared program between the Commonwealth and State and Territory governments. The program provides funding for a range of services which support people who are at risk of inappropriate admission to long term aged care. The Program also supports their carers. The type of services funded through the HACC Program include, but are not limited to: nursing care; allied health care; meals and other food services; domestic assistance; personal care; home modification and maintenance; transport; respite care; counselling, support, information and advocacy; and assessment.

HACC Assistance Types

The types of service provided to HACC clients.

• Allied health care
  Allied health consists of a wide range of specialist services, including podiatry, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, social work etc.
  
  
• Assessment
  Assessment refers to all assessment (and re-assessment) activities undertaken on behalf of the individual client. Not all assessment activities are necessarily undertaken face-to-face with the client.
  
  
• Case management
  Case management refers to the assistance received by a client with complex care needs from a formally identified agency worker. This person will coordinate planning and delivery of services from more than one agency.
  
  
• Centre-based day care
  Centre-based day care refers to assistance provided to the client to attend/participate in group activities and is conducted in a centre-based setting. It includes group excursions/ activities conducted by centre staff but held away from the centre.
  
  
• Client care coordination
  Client care coordination refers to activities that relate to the coordination, planning, delivery and monitoring of services which are directly attributable to an individual client. It includes advocacy on the client’s behalf, and liaison with service providers to ensure that the client has access to the range of services required.
  
  
• Counselling/support, information and advocacy
  This assistance type covers a number of supportive services to help clients and carers deal with their situation. It includes one-on-one counselling and information. This service can be recorded as one of two service types based on the recipient of the counselling – either the care recipient (Care Counselling Support) or their Carer (Carer Counselling Support)

Home maintenance
Home maintenance refers to general repair and care of a client’s home or yard provided by an agency. This helps the client to live comfortably and safely in their home. It may include handyman work, repairs, lawn mowing, rubbish removal, wood chopping and repairs to roof or guttering.

Home modification
Home modification refers to structural changes to the client’s home so they can continue to live and move safely about the house. It will often include the fitting of rails, ramps, alarms or other safety and mobility aids.

Inactive Carers
If the carer is not providing assistance with any of the core activities of self-care, communication or mobility to the person with the mental illness, when they are between episodes, they are ‘inactive’ carers.

Mental Health
Is a state of emotional and social wellbeing in which the individual can cope with the normal stresses of life and achieve his or her potential. It includes being able to work productively and contribute to community life.

Mental illness/psychiatric disability
Associated with clinically recognisable symptoms and behaviour patterns frequently associated with distress that may impair personal functioning in normal social activity. Impairments of global or specific mental functions may be experienced, with associated activity limitations and participation restrictions in a range of areas. Supports needed may vary in range, and may be required with intermittent intensity during the course of the condition. Change in level of supports tends to be related to changes in the extent of impairment and the environment.

Psychiatric disability may be associated with schizophrenias, affective disorders, anxiety disorders, addictive behaviours, personality disorders, stress, psychosis, depression and adjustment disorders.

Not for profit
An organisation where any profits generated are returned to further the work of the organisation, and not paid out to individuals or shareholders.

Nursing care
Nursing care is defined as health care provided to a client by a registered or enrolled nurse.

Other food services
Other food services mean any assistance provided during preparation/cooking of a meal at the client’s home. It also includes advice on nutrition, food storage or preparation. It does not cover the delivery of a meal prepared elsewhere.

Personal care
Personal care is normally provided in the home, and includes helping the client with daily self-care tasks (eg eating, bathing, grooming etc.). It may include medication monitoring.

Planned respite
Refers to scheduling respite in advance to allow the carer to arrange their breaks on predetermined dates. This requires Centres to work with carers to identify their respite needs (and perhaps other support needs), as well as the personal care needs of their care recipient, so they can arrange respite that will help prevent breakdowns in the caring relationship.

Power of Attorney
A power of attorney is a document by which a person appoints someone else, usually a trusted family member or friend, to act as their agent with authority to deal with and manage their property and other financial affairs.

Quality Assurance
Is a systematic way of checking that an organisation meets set standards.

Respite care
Respite care is assistance provided to carers so they may have relief from their caring role and pursue other activities or interests. The motivation underlying the assistance to the carer is essential: a substitute carer is being provided so the carer gains time out.

Respite Service Provider
Means a person or organisation that provides respite care services for carers of people with disability at a professional level.

Social support
Social support is normally provided in the client’s home but may include accompanying the client on an excursion or trip. The support is provided to them as an individual and helps them to participate in society. It includes keeping them company, helping them do paper work, taking them shopping, banking or to attend an appointment.

Transport
Transport is assistance provided so that the client may get out of their house and do chores, attend other activities or community centres, and participate in the community.

Service Provider
An organisation providing HACC-funded services.

Volunteer

• Undertake activities without monetary reward;
• Undertake activities of their own free will; 
• Undertake activities of benefit to STEPS and the local community;
• Undertake activities that compliment but do not replace the services provided by paid staff.