Community Services

The Commonwealth Carelink Program is to enhance the quality of care delivered
to older Australians and younger people with disabilities, through the expansion
of relations between general practitioners, community care service providers and
the wider community. The aim of establishing Commonwealth Carelink Centres is
to provide the general public, carers, service providers, general practitioners and
other health professionals with a single point of access for information about, and
referral to, community care services.

The establishment of Commonwealth Carelink Centres will provide information
that may assist access to community care services. This should result in improved
integration of service delivery, particularly for people needing packages of high
level community care as an alternative to at least low level residential care. The
Centres will assist the coordination of information regarding the HACC
(Home and Community Care) Program and CACPs (Community Aged
Care Packages) and provide a crucial link to the range of Commonwealth and
State funded health, aged and community care projects.

COMMUNITY MEMBERS

The establishment of Commonwealth Carelink Centres seeks to enhance the
quality of care delivered to older Australians and younger people with disabilities,
through the expansion of relations between general practitioners, community care
service providers, and the wider community. The Centre will provide a central
source for older Australians, younger people with disabilities and the community
to easily find the information they need about community and other aged care services
in their local area.

It was clear that for many people there was no easy way to get in touch with the
agencies providing community care or residential aged care services without having
to navigate a maze of service providers. The Commonwealth Carelink Program
1800 number will be a vital link between older Australians, younger people with a
disability and the community with the wide range of services that are available to
assist them to live at home and remain independent.

The purpose of the Commonwealth's Aged and Community Care Program is to
enhance the quality of life for older Australians through support of active,
healthy ageing and the provision of appropriate high quality and cost effective care
services. Australia's aged care system is structured around two main categories
of care delivery, residential care and community care. These care systems operate
in the broader system of health delivery, income support, housing and community
services. Together, these systems offer older people and people with a disability a
broad range of services and support, depending on their needs and circumstances.