my future my choice
Better living options for younger people in residential aged care
Information on this page
- Latest news
- Service development – New services!
- Improving quality of life while in residential age care (RAC)
- Vacancy coordination of new services
- Planning and assessment
- Exploring better living options
- my future my choice background
- Objectives
- Eligibility and assistance
- Guiding principles
- Advisory committee
- Progress report
- Newsletters
- Contact information
Image: Left to right - Francene McCartin, Manager, Statewide Initiatives, Disability Services, Diana Heggie, Chief Executive Officer, Scope, and residents John Treweek and Andrew George in the backyard of John's and Andrew's new home.
Latest news
my future my choice has recently advertised a Request for Proposals (RFP) process. We are hoping to attract proposals for new and innovative support models that will build on the seven accommodation and support developments currently underway. We aim to establish accommodation and support services for up to 50 people via the RFP process by the end of 2009/2010. Proposals will be sought for developments throughout the state, with rural and regional proposals particularly encouraged.
For further information the specifications are available to download:
Service development – New services!
Work is underway to develop new, more suitable accommodation services for younger people who would otherwise be living in residential aged care (RAC).
Seven new service developments are underway. These will provide new homes and support to 46 younger people in the following locations:
|
Location |
Service Provider |
|---|---|
| Alphington | Villa Maria |
| Noble Park | Yooralla |
| Glen Waverley | Wesley |
| Geelong | Karingal |
| Southern Metropolitan | MS Ltd |
| Eastern Metropolitan | Scope |
| North and West Metropolitan | Yooralla |
Younger people move into the first my future my choice house!
On 7 March 2008, the Minister for Community Services, Lisa Neville, opened the first house under the my future my choice initiative. The house is now a home to six younger people with acquired brain injury. The house is being managed by Scope and is located in the Eastern Metropolitan region.
Media release (Department of Premier and Cabinet website)
- Disability funding gives younger people more choice 7 March 2008 (External site)
Six places for younger people in Geelong
Specially designed units to be built in Geelong will provide a new home and support for younger people with disabilities living in, or at risk of entry to, RAC. Karingal was selected to manage the new accommodation and support service, which will consist of:
- Five ongoing places for younger people with high to very high support needs
- One place for respite care - to provide temporary support to younger people and their families, to sustain their current living arrangement in the community and prevent them from entering RAC.
Media release (Department of Premier and Cabinet website)
- New accommodation options for younger Geelong people stuck in aged care facilities 5 May 2008 (External site)
Six places for younger people in North and West Metropolitan Region
Specially designed units will be built in Melbourne's North and West Region providing a new home and support for younger people with disabilities living in, or at risk of entry to, RAC. The units will provide six ongoing places for younger people with high to very high support needs. Yooralla will manage the new accommodation and support service.
10 place very high and complex care needs house
Work is being completed on the design of the new purpose-built service in Alphington. This house will provide support to 10 people who have very high and complex care needs, including a need for nursing support. Villa Maria Society is developing this accommodation and support service.
Media release
Other services to be developed under my future my choice include:
- A six place service for people with degenerative neurological conditions to be run by Wesley Mission in Glen Waverley in the Eastern Metropolitan region
- A nine place service for people with a range of disabilities to be run by Yooralla in Noble Park in the Southern Metropolitan region
- An existing three-place service will be expanded to a six place service for people with neurological conditions and will be managed by Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Limited, in Southern Metropolitan region.
Improving quality of life while in residential age care
Supports to enhance quality of life for younger people living in residential age care (RAC) have been allocated for 90 younger people so far. The supports include funding for therapy services such as physiotherapy and speech therapy. Attendant care is also being funded to assist people to participate in the community and pursue their leisure interests, or reconnect with family and friends. Non-recurrent funding can assist to purchase aids and equipment (such as wheelchairs and communication devices) for some people living in RAC to improve their mobility and comfort.
The Caulfield General Medical Centre has been engaged to provide Aids and Equipment to participants of my future my choice. This is the first time people in RAC have been able to access Aids and Equipment.
Vacancy coordination of new services
During the development of a service, my future my choice will work with the local regional Disability Services to identify people who have indicated through their planning, that they want to move from RAC. Younger people at risk of admission to RAC will also be considered for new accommodation services.
While the selection process will be consistent with the principles of vacancy coordination, it may vary in some instances in response to the defined nature of the service (for example, regional/statewide) and in relation to the timing of service commencement - in some instances, residents may be identified prior to service being operational.
A profile for each new service will be established detailing the level of staff support, locality, and disability type. A shortlist is then created using the information already collected through the planning process to identify people who match the model of support.
A panel is then convened to select people from the shortlist based on priority criteria. This may include things like suitability of current living situation, risk of breakdown of current support arrangements, compatibility of residents, connection to local area (for example, family and friends) and capacity to maximise personal outcomes.
Most of the new services will take some time to build and establish so resident selection will happen progressively over the next 1 to 2 years.
Further information
Further information about vacancy coordination is available in the my future my choice Newsletter no. 5, May 2008.
Planning and assessment
Individualised planning and assessment has now been provided for more than 140 people who are aged less than 50 who live in residential aged care (RAC) across Victoria. The planning process allows a person and their family or key others to consider their specific support and accommodation needs, aspirations and other important lifestyle factors. It presents an opportunity to explore different living options and consider models of care which may best meet an individual's needs and preferences.
The Summer Foundation was engaged by Disability Services to develop a planning and assessment framework in early 2007. Planning organisations then worked with younger people to develop individual plans. Those plans were considered by a my future my choice Panel. The Panel registered the interest from individuals in finding alternative accommodation options. It also allocated approximately 70 individual support packages to enhance the support of younger people while they are living in RAC.
A report has been prepared by the Summer Foundation that aggregates and summarises the key outcomes of the planning and assessment process, and a summary of the full report (external link) has been provided to younger people who participated in the process.
Exploring better living options
The Summer Foundation in partnership with my future my choice released a DVD and information booklet 'From a home to their homes' on 29 June 2007.
Six people share their experiences of moving out of RAC into alternative living arrangements.
For more information, visit the Summer Foundation website (external link).
my future my choice background
The Council of Australian Governments (COAG) announced an agreement on 10 February 2006 to reduce the number of younger people with a disability living in residential aged care (RAC) facilities. A bilateral agreement between the Commonwealth and the State has been signed that commits $60.2 million in joint funding for Victoria over five years.
The COAG commitment acknowledges the increasing demand from younger people with a disability for specialist age appropriate services to meet their ongoing needs and aspirations. The aim is to reduce the number of younger people with a disability living in RAC.
Objectives
my future my choice aims to provide better living options for younger people in, or at risk of entry to, RAC. This will be achieved through the development of innovative support models that respond to complex clinical and health care needs, whilst also providing lifestyle and social opportunities that younger people can identify with.
The initiative has three strategic objectives:
- To provide alternative supports
- Provide better living options for younger people with a disability in residential aged care settings, where it can be made available and where this is what the younger person chooses
- To enhance disability supports within RAC
- Promote a more age appropriate response to those younger people with a disability who choose to remain in residential aged care, or for whom residential aged care remains the most suitable supported accommodation option available
- To minimise future admissions to RAC
- Provide alternative responses, where possible, for younger people with a disability who are at risk of admission to residential aged care
The initial priority is to achieve this for people aged less than 50 years.
Eligibility and assistance
People who meet the following criteria may be able to receive assistance under my future my choice:
- have a disability as defined in the Disability Act 2006
- are aged less than 50 years
- are living permanently in RAC or at risk of entry to RAC.
People are at risk of entry to RAC if they are:
- in an acute, sub-acute or rehabilitation setting with high-level chronic or complex care needs; or
- have an Aged Care Assessment Service (ACAS) assessment which has determined that they are eligible for recommendation to RAC.
Details of this process are available in the 
my future my choice brochure (PDF 205 KB).
It is also available in Word format - 
my future my choice brochure (Word 333 KB).
Guiding principles
The implementation of my future my choice is underpinned by a number of important guiding principles. You can download the my future my choice Guiding Principles (PDF 58 KB).
Advisory Committee
An Advisory Committee with broad representation from the department, community members, Young People in Nursing Home (YPINH) Alliance and key stakeholder organisations meets every 6 weeks to provide specialist advice regarding critical implementation tasks and issues.
Progress Report
The my future my choice Progress Report provides information about how the initiative has progressed since it began in 2006.
- my future my choice Progress Report - March 2008 (PDF 3.0 mb)
- my future my choice Progress Report - March 2008 (Word 74.0 kb)
Newsletters
A newsletter provides regular updates on developments and progress under my future my choice.
- my future my choice Newsletter Number 5 May 2008
- my future my choice Newsletter Number 5 May 2008 (Word 40.5 kb)
- my future my choice Newsletter Number 5 May 2008 (PDF 748.3 kb)
- my future my choice Newsletter Number 4 July 2007
- my future my choice Newsletter Number 4 July 2007 (Word 360 KB)
- my future my choice Newsletter Number 4 July 2007 (PDF 774 KB)
- my future my choice Newsletter Number 3 March 2007
- my future my choice Newsletter Number 3 March 2007 (Word 367 KB)
- my future my choice Newsletter Number 3 March 2007 (PDF 946 KB)
- my future my choice Newsletter Number 2 December 2006
- my future my choice Newsletter Number 2 December 2006 (Word 336 KB)
- my future my choice Newsletter Number 2 December 2006 (PDF 155 KB)
- my future my choice Newsletter Number 1 October 2006
- my future my choice Newsletter Number 1 October 2006 (Word 333 KB)
- my future my choice Newsletter Number 1 October 2006 (PDF 193 KB)
Contact details
The Department of Human Services Disability Intake and Response is the key point of contact for people with disabilities and their families. This service will connect you to your regional office and is available during business hours, Monday to Friday from 9am – 5pm on 1800 783 783 or TTY 1800 008.
To request materials in other languages or formats, or for general enquiries contact:
Telephone: (03) 9096 8724