Will housing tenure drive unequal outcomes for Consumer-Directed Care recipients?

Initiatives to promote consumer choice are increasingly a feature of Australian welfare policies and programs. Consumer Directed Care (CDC) for older people and the National Disability Insurance Scheme for people younger than 65 years with a disability are two examples of this move towards consumer choice in policy and program development. The ability for service users to benefit from these programs is premised on the fact that their housing is stable and suitable. Yet, there is evidence that this is not the case, and many older people and people with disabilities experience significant housing challenges and stress. This article focuses on CDC and its implications for one particular group under housing stress - low-income older renters. Might they be at risk of limited access to home care services, and what are the broader local neighbourhood implications of this policy? Practice Impact: Housing and aged care service providers are well placed to drive broadscale programs to develop coordinated packages of service. In this changing context of individual budget models, improved and innovative services that will assist older people with complex needs to have better access to services must be explored, and new models of service provision developed.