Aging & Social Change: Ninth Interdisciplinary Conference

Abstract

Two years after the introduction of personalized funding in the home care sector the evidence of its impact of increasing choice, control and quality through competitive markets is mixed. Research commissioned by the Department of Health to evaluate the experiences and perceptions of home care package among consumers and service providers since the Increasing Choice in Home Care reforms (available at https://agedcare.health.gov.au/home-care-package-research-report), showed that the mix of services older people use and the providers delivering them remains mostly the same. The bulk of services older people receive are for basic support including domestic support, transport, and personal care and the choice of provider is greatly determined by availability and a preference for continuity of service. This study analyses the impact of consumer markets in aged care on the quality of care of frail older people in Australia.