Help At Home As You Get Older

Growing older doesn’t have to mean giving up your independence.

If day-to-day tasks are becoming a little harder to manage as you age, there is help available, so you can stay independent in your own home. From assistance to keep your home and garden neat, tidy and safe, through to regular daily in-home care visits; support with personal care, grooming and medication; help with nutritious meal preparation; support to go shopping, attend appointments and social activities; allied health services such as physio and podiatry; and home modifications to help you stay mobile – you’ll get more than just a helping hand. Aged care support with For Care means peace of mind. It means consistent care. And means a reliable team is working alongside you, every step of the way, adapting to your changing needs.

This care and support is available with the help of the Australian Government-funded Home Care Package. Depending on your circumstances, a Home Care Package could cover some, or all, of the cost of your aged care support at home.  This guide will take you through understanding your eligibility, how to apply, having an Aged Care Assessment, and how to get the care you want in your own home.

Eligibility

To be eligible for a Home Care Package, you must be:

• 65 years of age or older (or 50 years if you are Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander)
• an Australian citizen

To determine if you qualify for assistance, you will need to apply for an assessment. You can do this by

• Calling My Aged Care on 1800 200 422, or
• Visiting myagedcare.gov.au/assessment/apply-online

If, based on the information you provide during the application, it is found that you only need a low level of care, you may be given access to the Commonwealth Health Support Program.

This provides a lower level of funding than the Home Care Package, but still offers access to personal and domestic support, as well as respite and short-term care (ie post-hospital care, or respite if your regular carer needs to be away for a while.)

If, based on your application, you are likely to be eligible for a Home Care Package, you will be sent a Welcome Pack in the mail containing helpful information, and you will be contacted to arrange an in-home assessment. This means a team member from the ACAT (Aged Care Assessment Team) will visit you in your home. They’ll talk with you about many things, including your health and abilities, how much support you have available (eg from family), and any safety concerns. There will also be a form to fill out. You can have a support person available for this assessment, if you choose.

Wait times to receive your package can vary – from one month, to more than a year. During this time you can explore Home Care Package Provider options, so you can be ready to get your services underway as soon as possible when your package becomes available.

Wait times to receive your package can vary – from one month, to more than a year. During this time you can explore Home Care Package Provider options, so you can be ready to get your services underway as soon as possible when your package becomes available.

Levels of Care 

Home Care Packages are allocated at one of four levels, catering to basic, low, intermediate and high care needs. When you receive your package, and partner with your chosen Home Care Package Provider, they’ll work with you to develop a tailored care plan that suits your needs and fits within your budget. This guide gives a rough estimate of the kinds of services you can expect based on your package level.

Read More: What can I get with my Aged Care Funding?

Level 1: Basic Care Needs

Enjoy a little extra support and assistance with basic activities of daily living – such cleaning and tidying around the house, lawn mowing and light weeding, personal grooming and dressing, help with meal preparation, shopping and transport.

This averages around 1-2 visits a week, depending on your individual needs.

Level 2 : Low-level Care Needs

Get a little more frequent assistance with basic daily living eg personal care, help to keep your home and garden neat, clean and tidy, shopping and transport, plus some allied health services. 

This averages around 3-4 visits a week, depending on your individual needs.

Level 3: Intermediate care needs

You can receive a higher level of support, with more complex care services and specialised health services provided by trained medical staff, as well as help around the home

Care and assistance can be provided, on average, most days of the week.

Level 4: High-level care needs

The highest level of support, including a wide range of services to meet complex care requirements or multiple high care needs, including medical or nursing support. 

Care/nurse visits are provided daily, on average.

Remember, this is just a guide. Perhaps you are seeking home modifications such as grab handles or ramps, or there is a particular Allied Health service you would like to access regularly – you can work with your package manager to customise a plan to suit your needs and budget. 

Receiving your package and putting it into action

1. Choose a Home Care Package Provider to ‘host’ your package

In order to start utilising your package, you must choose an Approved Home Care Package Provider, such as For Care, to ‘host’ your package on your behalf. They must be government-approved, to meet several legal and compliance obligations.  When it comes to managing your Home Care Package, you need to choose a provider you can trust.

Read More: Choosing an Aged Care Service Provider

The Provider is responsible for managing the administrative and financial side of your package, such as creating your Care Plan with you, submitting invoices to Services Australia for payment/reimbursement, managing your budget, buying equipment (such as mobility aids), arranging home modifications (such as ramps or grab rails) and doing background checks on your service providers. 

They must also provide Care Management services – which means regularly checking that your care meets your needs and preferences, assessing risks, and partnering with you or family/carers about your care.

They can also coordinate your care services for you: finding and rostering your various care services and providers. If you want to have more involvement in this coordination of your care, you can do so, which will result in lower management fees. 

2. Meet and discuss your care needs

The provider is responsible for creating your Care Plan. At For Care, we’ll sit down with you, taking the time to understand your needs, and what you want to achieve from your aged care service, so that we can customise a plan for you. Then, we will provide you with these documents:

• Home Care Agreement – this is a legal document, but rest assured it doesn’t ‘lock’ you into services: in fact, it protects you, as the service user.
• Care Plan – this details the services you want to engage and how they will be provided for you
• Individualised Budget – this will lay out for you how your funding is being spent.

3. Delivery of Services

It’s now time to put your Care Plan into action, and start receiving your services! And with For Care you’ll have peace of mind knowing we’re always here to help you make the most of your Home Care Package funding and services. You’ll receive monthly statements to show you how the funds are being spent, and our team will work with you to ensure you’re getting the care and support you need.

Supporting your changing needs

We’re here to partner with you on your aged care journey. We’ll continue to work collaboratively with you and your carers or loved ones, to ensure your care is always up to your expectations. As your needs change over time, we’ll adapt as needed, and we can help you to apply for a higher level of care when the time comes. Contact our team to discuss our Home Care Package Provider services, our care services, or to ask any questions that will help you on your aged care journey.