ASM client and carer outcomes
project
Information Bulletin #1 August 2014
The Home and Community Care Program is jointly funded by the Commonwealth and Victorian governments
Background
The Victorian HACC active service model (ASM) is a quality improvement initiative that explicitly
focuses on implementing person and family-centred care, wellness promotion, capacity building
and restorative care in service delivery. The goal of the active service model is for people in the
HACC target group to live in the community independently, actively and autonomously for as long
as possible.
Victoria HACC organisations have been implementing ASM for four years and have made
consistent representation to the department that a validated suite of outcome measures would
assist in tracking their progress towards implementing the active service model approach.
Project aims
The ASM client and carer outcomes project aims to identify and trial a suite of client and carer
measures which will measure a range of outcomes from an ASM perspective. This project will
have relevance to the Victorian HACC program as it prepares to transition to Commonwealth
funding and management. Wellness promotion and restorative care are common policy objectives
for Victoria and the Commonwealth.
The department has contracted the Australian Institute for Primary Care and Ageing (AIPCA),
Latrobe University to undertake the project. The project will focus on outcome measures for older
people and their carers and assist organisations to continue to make improvements to their ASM
implementation and models of care.
Project objectives are:
• To develop an ASM outcome framework in order to measure the extent to which the active
service model approach is achieving its desired objectives.
• Pilot these measures on a sample of clients and carers in order to evaluate their validity and
effectiveness in identifying change at the client/carer level.
• Provide the department with recommendations about how these outcome measures can be
administered, analysed and used by HACC organisations to measure the impact of implementing
an ASM approach.
Possible outcome categories include: maintenance, change, personal experience, and goal
achievement. Client and carer outcomes that are likely to be included: independence in everyday
activities of daily living; health status; social participation, emotional wellbeing, and care
relationships.
Department of Health
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The project will be divided into two stages
Stage One will identify a suite of measures which can demonstrate change in client and carer
status in a range of domains resulting from Victoria’s ASM approach.
Stage Two will test the measures with a sample of clients and carers, both before and after
service delivery episodes of care.
Based on the findings from Stage One the department reserves the right to make a decision as to
whether Stage Two will go ahead. Factors influencing this decision will include whether or not the
project has identified a robust set of validated tools and whether there is sufficient time and
resources to formally test these measures in the field.
Timeframes and governance
Stage One will be completed by November 2014. If stage two goes ahead it will be completed by
June 2015. The project is being overseen by a Project Reference Group comprising HACC
organisations and peak bodies.
How can HACC organisations participate?
The consultants will conduct a literature review to identify potential outcome measures and
current practice in this area. They will consult with relevant stakeholders including program areas
within the department where similar work is underway. For example the Community health
program and Carer support programs have identified outcome measures in their respective
program areas that are being piloted. The consultants will hold two workshops with interested
HACC organisations to get input and advice on the type of outcome measures that should be
considered.
Workshop details
HACC funded organisations are invited to attend one or both of the workshops below. Please
completed the attached registration form
Workshop One: Tuesday September 9 10.30-2.30 at Latrobe University Franklin St campus in
the city.
The aim of this workshop is to discuss the type and range of outcomes that should be measured.
A discussion paper which summarises the literature review findings including measures being
tested in other program areas will be circulated prior to the workshop.
Workshop Two: Tuesday October 7 10.30-2.30 Latrobe University Franklin St campus This
workshop will build on the findings from the first workshop. It will identify the preferred outcomes
to be measured and discuss options for how to measure them
Organisations interested in participating can complete the attached registration form and email it
to Karen Teshuva k.teshuva@latrobe.edu.au.
Other ways to be involved
Organisations that are already measuring outcomes from an ASM perspective can send relevant
materials/measurement tools/reports to Karen Teshuva at AIPCA.
You can also contact your regional ASM industry consultant to discuss the relevance of this
project to any current work you are doing in this area.
For further information contact:
AIPCA: Karen Teshuva k.teshuva@latrobe.edu.au.
Department of Health: Heather Russell Heather.m.russell@health.vic.gov.au
Department of Health
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