KDHS chief executive Anne McEvoy said she was pleased her organisation was able to team up with Goulburn Valley Health and Community Interlink to support local community members to receive valuable assistance and enable them to stay in their own home.
“We've formally been in the consortium for 12 months. However, COVID has delayed us really getting our teeth into that area,” Ms McEvoy said.
“However, we did start our own home care service in July last year, which has been very successful.”
Dubbed KY Care, the program supports people to remain in their homes, with KDHS providing personal care, domestic care, shopping, social support and respite via brokerage arrangements with other agencies.
“We see this arrangement with Community Interlink as another offering under the umbrella for KDHS. It’s well-managed, it's got a clinical governance overlay and legislative compliance and all that sits under the consortia,” she said.
Community Interlink director Tricia Van De Paverd said she was looking forward to working with KDHS delivering Home Care Packages in Kyabram.
“The Community Interlink Health Services Consortium was formed in July 2016,” Ms Van De Paverd said.
Anticipating 2017 Commonwealth Home Care reforms, that moved government-funded packages from approved providers, including health services, to individual service participants, it was envisioned that the partnership would ensure the viability of locally governed public health HCP Providers, in what became a highly competitive new open market.
“Following the success of the consortium model, in 2018 the members agreed that a similar approach to promote members’ NDIS services and supports would be taken,” Ms Van De Paverd said.
“Today we have 10 registered NDIS members in the consortium and work to promote their premium services.”
While the service can provide referrals for any age group, from early learning NDIS participants through to seniors, Kyabram’s service will primarily focus on Home Care Packages and in-home aged-care services.
In 2019, Community Interlink won the Victorian Public Healthcare Awards’ Minister for Disability, Ageing and Carers Award for Excellence in public sector aged care.
Community Interlink assigns all its clients with a case manager and a service support co-ordinator, according to Ms Van De Paverd.
“Those people work with the person and their family members to provide a very holistic and individualised approach to care,” she said.
“That’s why we are able to provide premium support. We’re not about profits like many private providers. We’re all about providing the best care with right staff to support our clients. As one of our clients recently stated, ‘Community Interlink is a shining beacon in the plethora of companies professing to offer community support’.”
Information on Community Interlink is available at communityinterlink.org.au or by phoning 1300 203 203
