Active Service Model Project

Page content: Background | Key components of the Active Service Model | Contributing Work | Well for Life | Literature Review | HACC Active Service Model Pilot Projects | HACC National Forum 21 and 22 February 2008 | Victorian HACC Active Service Model Seminar February 25 2008 | HACC Active Service Model Discussion Paper and Consultation Process | Development of Implementation Plan | Contact

Background

The Department of Human Services is currently exploring a new direction for home and community care service provision that has shown considerable promise: the Active Service Model. The Active Service Model is based on the premise that clients have the potential to make gains in their wellbeing and that the HACC service system can improve its capacity to support this. This is not a wholesale change to the HACC program but rather a way of strengthening existing practice and building quality improvement.

The policy landscape behind this was sketched out in the first instance during the Ministerial launch of Priorities and Future Directions for the HACC program in Victoria, 11 April 2006. Details can be found in the speech below:

Future directions in the HACC Program in Victoria by Jeannine Jacobson (66kb, pdf)

An Active Service Model emphasises the provision of person centred, timely and flexible interventions that prioritise capacity building and restorative care to maintain or promote a client’s capacity to live as independently as possible. A range of strategies and interventions can be utilised as part of an active service model including: strength based assessment; increased access to physiotherapy and occupational therapy; retraining in activities of daily living; timely provision of aids and equipment; greater utilisation of relationships with community care workers; encouragement to participate in local health promoting activities, and strengthening social support. The defining characteristic is that the starting point for all clients is on their strengths rather than their deficits, and that all clients have some capacity to improve.

This type of service model has underpinned the development of time-limited multi-component programs, now operating in the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Western Australia. A growing body of evidence suggests that these interventions result in substantial functional improvements in frail older adults, and are cost effective in that they reduce for a period of time the need for ongoing health and community services for a substantial proportion of clients.

Key components of the Active Service Model

The key components of the active service model include:

1. Emphasis on capacity building or restorative care to maintain or promote a client’s capacity to live as independently as possible. The overall aim is to improve functional independence, quality of life and social participation;
2. An emphasis on a holistic ‘person-centred’ approach to care, that promotes clients’ wellness and active participation in the decisions about care; and,
3. An attempt to provide more timely, flexible and targeted services that are capable of maximising the client’s independence.

Contributing Work

Well for Life

The Well for Life program commenced in 2003 and aims to improve the health and wellbeing of frail older people in aged care settings by improving nutrition and increasing levels of activity. For more information, see Well for Life.

The principles underpinning this program were recognised as having merit within the HACC program, initially tested in Planned Activity Groups (PAG) and later in HACC Home Support Services through 2 pilot projects. The pilot projects undertaken were with local government councils that had previously implemented Well for Life principles within their PAG programs.  For details on these projects, see Pilot Projects.

Literature Review

The Australian Institute for Primary Care have been commissioned to undertake a review of the international and national literature to:

• develop a comprehensive knowledge base that supports the case for change to an approach that includes person centred capacity building or restorative care, that will maximise the client capacity to live independently in the community; and
• identify models of service delivery that are applicable in Victoria.

The undertaking has yielded a conceptual overview and synthesis of literature that has identified a limited number of reports that evaluated the efficacy of a more wellness, restorative and reablement approach.

The final report will be available from this website shortly.

HACC Active Service Model Pilot Projects

A range of pilot projects have been undertaken to assist in the conceptual developemnt of the Active Service Model and in exploring associated implementation issues. Six projects have already been completed and evaluated and a further 3 are still in progress.

For more information, see HACC Active Service Model Pilot Projects.

HACC National Forum 21 and 22 February 2008

Because of its interest in the ASM approach, DHS organised and hosted the National Home and Community Care Forum on Promoting Independence on behalf of the Commonwealth Government and other States and Territories.

The HACC National Forum brought over 400 key stakeholders together from academics and researchers, service providers, peak bodies and governments to explore the evidence base and implications for more thoroughly adopting a wellness, capacity building and restorative care approach to HACC service provision.

In a stimulating two days, through plenary sessions and workshops a range of issues were covered including: What is the new picture of ageing? What is the financial future for governments and older people? Is there a different paradigm for the provision of HACC services? What international and national models have taken this approach and what have the learnings been? Workshops provided an opportunity to participate in a more detailed exploration of some of the key issues on transforming services; workforce support; demonstrating outcomes; assessment processes; assistive technology and targeting and diversity.

Proceedings were audio taped and the downloadable audio files and PowerPoint presentations are available from the Home and Community Care National Forum 08 website.

Victorian HACC Active Service Model Seminar February 25 2008

The Victorian HACC Active Service Model Seminar was a 1-day follow on event to the National Forum, including some of the Forum’s keynote speakers, along with presentations and evaluation findings from a number of HACC Active Service Model Pilot Projects. Nearly 700 people attended the event.

Full details, including program and speakers, can be found in the following brochure:

Victorian HACC ASM Seminar brochure (96kb, pdf)

Included below are the presentations from the day:

Victorian Active Service Model Context – Jeannine Jacobson, Department of Human Services (183kb, pdf)

Living Well in Later Life: From Prevention to Promotion – Mary Godfrey, University of Leeds, UK (98kb, pdf)

Is there a Different Paradigm for the Provision of HACC? – Gill Lewin, Silver Chain, Western Australia (633kb, pdf)

New Zealand: Quality Improvement in Community Care – Matthew Parsons, University of Auckland, New Zealand (1,057kb, pdf)

The UK Experience: The Reenablement Program – Gerald Pilkington, Department of Health, UK (254kb, pdf)

Wellness in Western Australia Hillary O’Connell, Community West Inc (561kb, pdf)

Wellness in Western Australia Gill Lewin, Silver Chain, Western Australia (493kb, pdf)

Overview of the Victorian Pilots - Meg Henderson, Department of Human Services (177kb, pdf)

Southern Metropolitan Region ASM Project – Alison Clarke, Bayside City Council (613kb, pdf)

Development of the Bendigo/Heathcote Project Ms Julie Flynn, Bendigo Health Care Group and Ms Yvonne Parsons, City of Greater Bendigo (162kb, pdf)

Engagement and Training of Community Care Staff: A component of the Caring for Continence through Care Planning Project - Ms Kath Paine, Royal District Nursing Service (367kb, pdf)

"Look Good, Feel Good, Eat Well" - An Active Service Model – Ms Anne Hunter and Ms Sandra Saxton, Murrindindi Shire Council (300kb, pdf)

Please note that the presentations given by Mary Godfrey, Gill Lewin, Matthew Parsons, Gerald Pilkington and Hillary O’Connell are substantively the same as those they presented at the HACC National Promoting Independence Forum. The National Forum presentations are available as audio files from the Home and Community Care National Forum 08 website.

HACC Active Service Model Discussion Paper and Consultation Process

A discussion paper has been developed to act as the basis for a series of consultations with the HACC sector throughout late May and early July 2008. The aim of these consultations is to have a dialogue with HACC funded and related service providers on

• Barriers and facilitators to the adoption of the Active Service Model and how it will need to be localised to work in particular settings
• Identifying examples of current practice that demonstrate this approach
• Gaining feedback on implementation strategies already identified
• other ideas about implementation.

A copy of the discussion paper is provided below:

HACC Active Service Model Discussion Document (280kb, pdf)

A parallel process for consumer consultations will also occur resourced by a separate companion paper which will be available shortly.

The consultation sessions are to be held on the following dates. Invitations have been forwarded by each DHS Regional Office. If you would like to attend one of these sessions, please speak with your DHS Regional contact officer.

We are also pleased to accept written submissions during this period. A pro-forma written submission feedback form has been prepared for this purpose.

HACC Active Service Model Discussion Document Feedback Form (99kb, MS Word)

Written submissions can be forwarded to Kriss McKie by email at kris.mckie@dhs.vic.gov.au or posted to Kriss McKie, Aged Care Branch, Department of Human Services, PO Box 4057, Melbourne 3001. The closing date for submissions is 4 July 2008.

For further information please contact either Kriss McKie on (61 3) 9096 7998 or above email or Meg Henderson on (03) 9096 2163 or email meg.henderson@dhs.vic.gov.au.

Development of Implementation Plan

An implementation plan will be developed by the end of 2008 as an outcome of all the work outlined above.

It is important to note though that Active Service Model principles are already embedded in the implementation of the HACC Assessment Framework and Access Points initiatives in Victoria. The Active Service Model Framework will also be integral to the development of the HACC Social Support Review that is just commencing in Victoria.

Website links to useful publications and programs informing the development of the Active Service Model approach are available.

Active Service Model: Useful publications and programs (21kb, pdf)

Contact

For more information about any of the items detailed above please contact

Meg Henderson (61 3) 9096 2163 or Meg.Henderson@dhs.vic.gov.au and Kriss McKie (61 3) 9096 7998 or Kris.McKie@dhs.vic.gov.au

top of page