More Australian seniors are choosing to live in their homes for as long as they can. Accessing home care services can help make this happen.
Are you finding household chores a bit much these days? Would you feel less stressed if you knew mum and dad were getting the support they need to be healthy and happy at home?
Home care services can help us live our best lives at home – for as long as we can.
What home care help is available?
The Australian Government funds two home help programs:
The Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP) provides entry-level home help for older people who are mostly able to live independently at home. This program is best for people who only need one or two basic home care services – such as meals on wheels, or a ramp installed in their home.
Here is more information about the CHSP: All about CHSP – the Commonweath Home Support Program (agedcaredecisions.com.au)
Home Care Packages offer more comprehensive home care services across four levels – covering everything from basic services to higher level nursing and medical support, such as a nurse coming to the home. Each Home Care Package level provides a set dollar amount each year, to help pay for the services you or your loved one needs.
Here is more information about Home Care Packages: Home Care Package Guidelines – Aged Care Decisions
Am I eligible for home care?
To apply for either program, you must be at least 65 years old (or at least 50 years old if you’re Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander) and need some help to live independently and happily at home.
Eligibility is determined via an aged care assessment and income and assets test.
You can quickly check your eligibility before applying, by using My Aged Care’s online eligibility checker: Am I eligible for an assessment? | My Aged Care
How can I apply for a Home Care Package?
To start the application process, the first step is to contact My Aged Care to organise an aged care assessment.
You can organise an assessment online here: How to apply for an assessment | My Aged Care or call My Aged Care on 1800 200 422.
A member of the Aged Care Assessment Team – usually a nurse, social worker, or health care professional – will interview you – often at your home – to check your physical and mental health. They’ll look at the way you manage day-to-day activities and speak with you about what home care services will be best to help you.
The aged care assessment takes about 3 hours and is an easy, two-way conversation. There are no forms to fill out. You can choose to bring a friend or family member join you for your assessment if you tend to feel overwhelmed by lots of information and questions.
You’ll also need to complete an income and assets assessment via Centrelink. You can do this online here: Aged Care Income Assessment | Aged Care Decisions
To complete the income assessment, you’ll need details about any income you receive, assets you have, and your outstanding bills and liabilities. It can take a few hours, especially if there are lots of documents to collect.
If you’re already receiving a means-tested pension – like the aged pension, disability support pension or a DVA income support payment – then you won’t need to fill out any forms. Simply call Centrelink on 1800 227 475 and ask them to start the home care income assessment process for you.
What can a Home Care Package pay for?
Home care packages provide support for thousands of older Australians, and can help you with things like:
• Household chores like making the bed or changing the bed linen,
• Gardening and mowing,
• Shopping, cooking, and ticking off admin tasks like paying bills,
• Transport to appointments and social events,
• Personal hygiene, nursing, and medical care,
• Looking after pets
Here’s more detailed information about what a Home Care Package can and cannot pay for:
What can my home care package funds be used for? – (agedcaredecisions.com.au)
How long does it take to get a Home Care Package?
Demand for home care packages is high, and the availability of services can fluctuate, depending on where you are in Australia – so timings can vary. The following is a basic guideline to timings:
Assessment – the wait time between your application and an assessor coming to your home is about 4 to 6 weeks.
Package approved – this can take several weeks to several months from the date of your assessment. You’ll receive a notification from My Aged Care when your home care package is approved.
Package assigned – Having your home care package APPROVED means you’re now in the QUEUE to get your package ASSIGNED – or allocated to you. The wait time here can be 3 to 12 months, depending on your location and your package level.
Having an ASSIGNED home care package means you can choose a home care package provider and start receiving subsidised home care services.
Aged Care Decisions can help you choose the best possible provider in your area, and then you can have helpers in your home within about two weeks.
Who are Aged Care Decisions?
We are a FREE and independent service that can help you find local, available home care package providers that suit your unique needs.
We use custom-built software that takes your location, budget, specific care needs and personal preferences, and creates a tailored home care provider Options Report for you. This report narrows your search down to only include available providers that match your needs.
Essentially, we do all the running around for you.
Providers pay us a set fee – which is the same for every provider. This means our service is 100% independent and 100% free for families. We can help you find home care providers with less stress, less hassle and at zero cost to you.
If you want to live your best life at home, for as long as you can – we’re ready to help you now.
