Waiting for Home Care Package funding? Speed up the process!

Waiting for your Home Care Package?

Waiting more than a year for a Home Care Package is tough, but there are support services available to you while you wait. It’s also a great time to get prepared by having a look at providers and the type of support services you might like to receive.

Here are some options while you wait for your Home Care Package:

Access entry-level care through the Commonwealth Home Support Program

It’s quicker to access entry-level support through the Commonwealth Home Support Program. The Commonwealth Home Support Program still requires consumers to register with the government gateway My Aged Care and have their needs assessed. Just remember it’s an entry-level program and so only provides limited support for selected services based on the provider. You don’t control how the money is spent nor do you see how much you can access. You will need to pay for the support but it is heavily subsidised.

Pay for your own home care to stay living at home

At any stage you can access personally funded care. This can be a bit of a hard one for many of us to get our head around, however, paying for your own care while you’re at home is an investment in your future health. In many cases, paying for private care can keep you safely living at your own home – independently but with some extra support. Some studies have shown that the more help you receive at home the lower the chance that you’ll need to enter permanent residential Aged Care. Good news!

You can pay for help with showering, dressing and wound care. You can access any service that you need but you want to make sure you choose a professional care provider who is qualified in helping older people remain safely at home.

If you want to understand more about funding your own Home Care, give CareAbout a call.

Speak to your GP about other forms of support

Your GP can help connect you with other forms of support to help you remain at home. Depending on your health needs your GP may be able to:

• arrange a Care Plan so you can access 5 free visits to an allied health professional
• request half-price taxis
• connect you with Community supports and volunteer organisations in your area.

Start researching providers

There are over 800 Home Care providers Australia-wide all with different pricing and value offerings. So how do you choose?

Here are some things you should think about before you select a home care package provider. Start by thinking about your goals. Are you a bit wobbly on your feet or tire easily? Then perhaps you need some home modifications to keep you safe such as grab rails in the bathroom or a removable shower-head so you can shower sitting down.

Do you need help with cleaning? Or someone to come in and prepare meals for you with recipes and ingredients you want. Perhaps you were having help from the Council and want different services.

Provider fees and systems are all different and can often be difficult to make head or tail of – call CareAbout, we’ll guide you through the process and can offer fantastic independent advice. Through our partnerships, we can also secure high-quality providers with reasonable fees. Link to “Choosing a provider”

Speak to your local Member of Parliament to try and speed up the process

Your local federal Member of Parliament can help shape the policy to support Australians to remain living at home as they age. The government has taken an important step in combining the funding for Home Care and Aged Care Homes – which was previously separate – and now they need to free up these funds and create more Packages for consumers to access.

Search here to find your local federal member of parliament. Send them an email, write them a letter or simply call their offices and ask them what they are doing to support older Australians to remain living at home.

The demand for Home Care Packages shows that Australians want to stay at home but they need some help. Waiting for over a year for support is unacceptable. The health and wellbeing of older Australians needs to be a priority.

To find a quality home care package provider speak to an expert adviser at CareAbout. Contact us on 1300 036 028