Person-centered care is an approach to caring for people with dementia that puts their individual interests, background and needs first. It ensures that their care is designed around them, not the carer or the facility that they may reside in.
There are a number of different types of payments available, depending on individual circumstances. The three most common for carers of people with dementia are: Carer Payment; Carer Allowance; Carer Supplement:
An advance care plan is a legal document that outlines a person’s wishes for their future health, financial and life choices should they be unable to make decisions for themselves.
Home care Package recipients with dementia may be eligible for the dementia and cognition supplement. The supplement rate is currently 10 per cent of the basic home care subsidy of the care recipient package.
This depends on what was disclosed in the Home Care Agreement. An exit fee for switching Home Care providers is not mandatory, but it can only be deducted from your unspent home care funds if It is disclosed in the Home Care Agreement you enter into and agree to in advance.
While Home Care providers charge a case management fee for the costs involved in creating your care plan, and conducting home visits for assessment and review purposes, there are additional costs involved in administering your care plan, managing your budget, and co-ordinating carers. These costs are covered by an admin fee your Home Care provider may charge you, and will vary from one provider to the next.
Home Care providers are allowed to charge a basic daily fee, in addition to their other fees, while Aged Care Homes all charge a daily care fee. With Home Care the basic daily fee is added to your budget, effectively increasing what you are able to spend on care and support.
In Aged Care Homes the daily care fee covers day-to-day costs including meals, laundry, and cleaning services.
An income-tested fee is a fee you might be asked to pay towards your Home Care. It is separate to the basic daily fee and is calculated based on your annual income not on your assets.
Your income is assessed during the process of applying for a Government Funded Home Care Package, but is reviewed quarterly for any changes. Annual and lifetime caps also apply to income-tested fees and you and your Home Care provider will be notified whenever you reach your annual or lifetime cap.
All levels of Home Care Packages are made up of a subsidy from the Australian Government. You may need to contribute to the Package out of your own pocket. However, the amount that you pay is influenced by several factors including whether or not your chosen Home Care provider charges you a basic daily fee, along with an income-tested fee you may have to pay based on your income (assessed at the start of each quarter).
More recently the Australian Government introduced annual and lifetime caps that apply to any income-tested fees you may have to pay. This is monitored by the Department of Human Services, and they will notify both you and your Home Care provider whenever you have reached your annual or lifetime cap.
The cost of Aged Care Homes is influenced by a number of factors, including whether you pay the Refundable Accommodation Deposit (RAD) in full or opt for Daily Accommodation Payments (DAP), or a combination of the two.
Location also has considerable influence on the cost, with Aged Care Homes in major cities costing considerably more than those in more remote locations. And, a single, private room will cost more than a shared room.
CareAbout’s searchable database includes cost estimates – where available – for Aged Care Homes throughout Australia, while a CareAbout Advocate can consider your budget while helping you to find Homes that meet your needs, and even try to negotiate fees on your behalf.
The NDIS is intended to provide reasonable and necessary supports and services to eligible participants, and these could cover a number of areas of a person’s life. When assessing each participant, the NDIS is guided by the National Disability Insurance Scheme Act 2013 (NDIS Act) and the rules made under the NDIS Act in determining what would be considered reasonable and necessary. Some types of supports they could consider include:
In all instances the supports must relate to a participant’s disability and it can be demonstrated are likely to be beneficial and effective to the participant.
