Report: Consumer Directed Care for Ageing Population of Australia

This report provides an in-depth analysis of Consumer Directed Care (CDC) in Australia, focusing on its principles and applications for the ageing population. It explores the strategies employed by healthcare professionals to cater to the needs of elderly individuals, emphasizing the importance of individual-centered care. The report utilizes the Six Thinking Hats framework to analyze CDC, covering aspects such as the role of government, challenges faced by patients and healthcare professionals, and the theories of enablement and choices in healthcare. It highlights the benefits of CDC, such as improved quality of life and respect for human rights, while also addressing challenges like limited choices and the need for transparency. The report concludes by emphasizing the importance of empathy, patient feedback, and continuous improvement in delivering effective and dignified care services to the ageing population.

Consumer directed care

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CONSUMER DIRECTED CARE FOR AGEING POPLULATION OF AUSTRALIA
Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................2
Blue hat..................................................................................................................................2
Analysis of the Consumer Directed Care in Australia...............................................................2
White hat................................................................................................................................2
Yellow hat..............................................................................................................................3
Black hat.................................................................................................................................3
Challenges faced by patients and healthcare professionals....................................................4
Theory of enablement in healthcare sector................................................................................4
Theory of choices in healthcare sector.......................................................................................4
The complex role of consumer in navigating their healthcare...................................................5
Red hat...................................................................................................................................5
Green hat................................................................................................................................5
Conclusion..................................................................................................................................6
References..................................................................................................................................7

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Introduction
In this report a brief analysis is done over the principles and applications of CDC (Consumer
directed care) in relation to those people who are aged and need care for rest of the life. The
focus will be provided on the various strategies used by healthcare professionals to treat the
clients who are aging and are incapable in handling their own work. Consumer directed care
is an approach which is totally focused on the individual needs and requirements of the
patients. CDC represents a process in which care and treatment is provided to the patients
while ensuring about fulfilling their needs and providing them all essential clinical facilities.
The focus is also given on the challenges faced by the healthcare professionals and
consumers and the methods to overcome from these challenges. Six hat framework model is
used to describe the approach of CDC (P. S. Aithal, 2017).
Blue hat
In the process of CDC, consumer or his family chooses their own care provider with suitable
treatment facilities. In this method, consumer knows about the details of the treatment which
is provided by the healthcare professionals. The government of Australia and other countries
are providing the consumer directed care for the people of their country in order to obtain a
satisfactory public health. In this report an analysis will be done over one of the consumer
care centre of Australia named as ‘COTA’. It stands for Council of the ageing Australia
(government, 2020). The focus is also provided over the various programs implemented by
the government for taking care of ageing population and homecare packages which offers
complete services for clients at their home. (government, 2020)
Analysis of the Consumer Directed Care in Australia
White hat
COTA is an organisation of Australia which deals with the ageing population of Australia.
Around 500,000 people of Australia, who are aged, are receiving the care and services of
various policies of COTA (government, 2020). It is providing the services in eight states and
territories in Australia. It has two governing bodies, named as ‘COTA Australia Board’ and
‘National Policy Council’. It also providing home care services to the aged people of

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Australia and provide a complete package of physical, psychological, social and financial
care for the aged people of Australia (government, 2020).
In 2017, the department of health of Australian government launched ‘Home care packages
program reforms’. This program ensure about fulfilling the need of older people of the
country which are living at their homes. This program is design to deliver timely and tailored
services to the clients. This program also designed ‘My aged care website’ and the important
information about its services can be provided on the website (SJ Russell, 2020).
Yellow hat
Older people need a lot of care with respect for maintaining the quality of their life. Many of
the aged people suffer from various diseases. CDC is providing the treatment of critical
diseases with encouraging the patients for living a better lifestyle. The working practices of
CDC involve all types of clinical services and other needs which are specified the clients
(Australia, 2020). Totally, the approach of CDC is focussed on providing a high quality of
services that is focussed on personal needs of the clients. A very large ageing population is
receiving the services of Consumer directed care of Australia. They receive the services
according to their choice and needs (Australia, 2020). The basic principles of CDC are as
follows:
 CDC works according the choice and control of the customers.
 It ensures the customers about protecting their human rights.
 A respectful and empathetic behaviour is adopted by the healthcare professionals of
the CDC.
 It not only encourage the participation of the customer in decision making related to
the treatment but also it takes permission from the clients before providing him any
services (NSW, 2020).
 It ensures about transparency in the services within the budget of individual and takes
the complete responsibility of his well-being (government, 2020).
Black hat
The government of Australia launched many programs related to the wellbeing of aged
population of Australia. Some of these programs are LLLB (Living longer living better),
which has been launched in 2012. It is a ten years program to take care of the ageing
population of the country. Another program is EACH that stands for Extended Aged Care at

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Home. It provides the care to aged people who live at their homes. Despite of a lot of efforts
some of the challenges are faced by the patients and healthcare professionals (Australia,
2012).
Challenges faced by patients and healthcare professionals
 Some consumer feels that they have limited number of choices related to the
treatment (SJ Russell, 2020).
 Sometimes in existence of the services experienced by some of the clients (Australia,
2020).
 The role of healthcare professionals is very critical in these types of services.
Sometimes the professional have to take immediate decisions in order to save the life
of the patients (government, 2020).
 The services should be on time and matches towards the expectations of the patients.
The maintenance of quality of the services could also be one of the major challenges
which are faced by healthcare professionals (life, 2020).
 Consumers also feel challenges in terms of meeting their expectations while
maintaining their human rights (G Ottmann, 2013).
 In a particular website of CDC, the healthcare professionals should mentioned the
details of their services with price (LF Low, 2012).
Theory of enablement in healthcare sector
This theory emphasis over the process adopted by healthcare professionals in which the
professionals make the patient enable in taking their own decisions without the interference
of others. The professionals of CDC works on the principals in which they motivate the
patient in taking all the decisions related to his life and services which he is receiving from
the CDC (Catherine Hudon, 2011).
Theory of choices in healthcare sector
This theory stated that patients should receive the treatment according to his choice. The
healthcare professionals need to protect the human rights of the patient by delivering him the
services which exactly matches with his choice and budget. The healthcare professionals

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supposed to offer choices to the patient for ensuring the wellbeing of his health and safety
(Zolkefli, 2017).
The complex role of consumer in navigating their healthcare
CDC approach is based upon choices of the clients related to receiving the services.
Consumers have to decide the type of treatment and the budget which he is going to spend on
the services (G Ottmann, 2013). In this case, consumer has to ensure about the various
features of the services which he is going to receive from CDC, which should be transparent
and clear. Most of the time consumer thinks that he did not receive the services according to
his expectations but in reality he has to choose his services by their own. The consumers and
his family members should review and understands the policies of CDC before receiving any
services (NSW, 2020).
Red hat
The services of CDC are very beneficial for the ageing population of the country. Sometimes
the aged people are in very critical position, they even not in a position to do their daily tasks
which are essential for their life. In these types of cases, maintaining the human rights of the
person is very important. The professionals of CDC are providing their services by
maintaining the human rights and dignity of the person. This concept is the most beneficial
aspect of consumer directed centres (government, 2020).
Green hat
However, the professionals of CDC are performing very well and giving the best treatment to
their clients but the transparency in the services should be high and the patients should easily
understand the policies of the consumer directed care. A lot of efforts are needed to make the
patients comfortable and make them capable in taking parts in decision making process. The
CDC should provide quick and efficient services after understanding the individual need of
the patient (government, 2020).
The services of CDC, not only makes the aged people healthy and secure but also they ensure
about their wellbeing in each and every aspect of their life. No doubt the services of CDC are
becoming very beneficial for the aged population of the country. The government of

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Australia launched CDC legislations for protecting the healthcare professionals and the
consumers by making the policies of CDC more transparent and flexible (Australia, 2020).
I can see myself as a very empathetic healthcare worker which is extremely serious about the
problems and need of the patient. Sometimes the protection of the rights of the patient is very
challenging because of the critical position of the patient. The dignity and self-determination
of the patient is very important that is why all the healthcare professionals should understand
this concept. The feedback from the previous patients and their family members should be
analysed and action should be taken for improving the services of healthcare services
(comission, 2020).
Conclusion
On the bases of the services of consumer directed services, it can be concluded that CDC is
proving efficient and empathetic services to the ageing population of Australia. The role of
healthcare professionals is very challenging because they have to treat with a lot of patience
to the aged clients. They have to focus on delivering better services to the consumers and at
the same time they have to take care about the dignity of the patients. A lot of improvement
could have been done after analysing the feedback of the patients and their family members
so that effective care services can be provided to the clients.

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References
Australia, C. o., 2012. Living Longer. Living Better. [Online]
Available at: https://flexiliving.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/D0769-Living-Longer-
Living-Better-SCREEN-070512.pdf
[Accessed 25 February 2020].
Australia, N. s., 2020. Consumer Directed Care In Australia: Early stage analysis and future
directions. [Online]
Available at: https://agedcare.royalcommission.gov.au/publications/Documents/related-
publications/08172617PAR-Consumer-Directed-Care-Research-Report-FNEmail.pdf
Catherine Hudon, D. S. C. T. G. B. M. E. P., 2011. Enablement in health care context: A
concept analysis. Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice, pp. 143-149.
comission, A. h. r., 2020. Implementing Consumer Directed Care. [Online]
Available at: https://www.humanrights.gov.au/about/news/speeches/implementing-consumer-
directed-care
G Ottmann, J. A. P. F., 2013. A systematic narrative review of consumer‐directed care for
older people: Implications for model development. Health & Social Care in the community,
21(6), pp. 563-581.
government, A., 2020. COTA Australia Board Expressions of Interest. [Online]
Available at: https://www.cota.org.au/about/governance/cota-australia-board/cota-australia-
board-expressions-of-interest/
government, A., 2020. What is CDC?. [Online]
Available at: https://www.cota.org.au/information/aged-care-for-providers/home-care-today-

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providers/consumer-directed-care/what-is-cdc/
government, D. o. h. A., 2020. Home Care Packages Program Reforms. [Online]
Available at: https://www.health.gov.au/health-topics/aged-care/aged-care-reforms-and-
reviews/home-care-packages-program-reforms
government, D. o. h. a. a. A., 2020. CONSUMER DIRECTED CARE (CDC) IN
AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT FUNDED COMMUNITY AGED CARE. [Online]
Available at: https://www.cct.org.au/source-assets/images/CDCpackagesFactSheet.pdf
government, V. s., 2020. Confidentiality and privacy in healthcare. [Online]
Available at: https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/servicesandsupport/confidentiality-
and-privacy-in-healthcare
LF Low, N. C. M. G. S. B. H. B., 2012. An update on the pilot trial of consumer‐directed care
for older persons in Australia. Australasian journal on ageing , 31(1), pp. 47-51.
life, A. g., 2020. Are you taking advantage of Consumer Directed Care?. [Online]
Available at: https://www.apia.com.au/apia-good-life/community-relationships/consumer-
directed-care.html
NSW, A. g., 2020. Consumer directed care. [Online]
Available at: https://www.agedcare101.com.au/aged-care/consumer-directed-care
P. S. Aithal, P. M. K. V. S., 2017. Factors & Elemental Analysis of Six Thinking Hats
Technique Using ABCD Framework. International Journal of Advanced Trends in
Engineering and Technology (IJATET), ISSN, 1(1), pp. 85-95.
SJ Russell, K. S. I. E., 2020. Consumer experiences of home care packages. Australasian
Journal on Ageing.

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Zolkefli, Y., 2017. Evaluating the Concept of Choice in Healthcare. The Malaysian Journal
of medical science, pp. 92-96.