Home and Community Care Volunteers
Volunteering to help people stay well & safe in their homes and community
What is Home and Community Care and Commonwealth Home Support Programme?
The Tasmanian and Australian Governments fund the Tasmanian Home and Community Care¹ (Tas HACC) and the Commonwealth Home Support Programme² (CHSP). These pay-for-community service programs are for senior Tasmanians and their carers to live independently at home if their capacity for independent living is at risk due to:
- a health event
- living with an ongoing health condition. For people that need ongoing support and do not meet the eligibility for the NDIS
Organisations (providers) who are funded to provide these vital community services engage volunteer workforces to deliver a variety of roles to their clients.
Why is the program important to our Tasmanian community?
Most people value being able to live in their own homes and community for as long as possible. Some people need help to stay safe in their home and be a part of their local community. Sometimes help is provided by a carer, relatives, or friends, but people may also need help from other services and supports from volunteers. The Home and Community Care programs help older Australians access entry-level support services to live independently and safely at home.
What volunteer roles are available?
Volunteers play a vital role in supporting people in their homes through the Home and Community Care programs. A wide range of volunteering opportunities are available, and many can be adapted to suit the circumstances of the volunteer. Approximately 60 organisations provide volunteering opportunities in Tasmania in the following areas:
- Helping people with gardening
- Driving people to appointments and activities
- Delivering meals (physical and mental wellbeing check-ins)
- Providing social support and companionship
- Helping people with letter writing, telephone calls and filling in forms
- Helping people with banking and paying accounts
- Providing administrative support to the volunteer programs
What volunteers say about their experiences
Still Gardening volunteers
“The people we help are so grateful for the assistance or advice we give them. They feel better in themselves when out in the garden, the negative thoughts of not being able to cope with the garden recedes at least temporarily.”
“I enjoy being supportive to the person I help. We have rapport and attend to her garden together. Also being a volunteer (even in my minor capacity) is such a feel-good situation.”
“The pleasure they get when I arrive to help, knowing at the end of my visit I (we) have accomplished something special.”
“Seeing the joy and satisfaction the client has with the garden. She could not manage before but now she is going from strength to strength.”
“Knowing how meaningful my visits are to my client and seeing the delight in her face when we plant seedlings together.”
“Seeing the other person happy. It’s a negligible commitment for me, an hour once a fortnight, and I get back a lot more than I put in.”
“Knowing it makes her feel good when stuff gets done and it motivates her to get out in between my visits. She manages pretty well at 86 and that’s inspiring to me.”
| Funded by the Crown through the Department of Health – Tasmania. |
| Funded by the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care. |