An introduction to Home Care

Key points:

  • Assessment teams will help you find the rights services to suit your care needs or basic help you require at home

  • The Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP) may be your best option if you need basic help around the home

  • A Home Care Package (HCP) is ideal if you require care services but don’t wish to enter aged care

Sometimes simple tasks, like taking a shower or getting dressed, can become a major ordeal, and if you no longer have a driver’s licence, getting to appointments can be hard.

With the right support, you can receive help to make your life easier, and this will enable you to continue living in your own home.

Depending on your needs, you can receive support in many areas including:

  • Help with domestic tasks such as laundry, cleaning or meal preparation

  • Transport to appointments, shopping

  • Assistance with personal care such as showering and dressing

  • Gardening and home maintenance

  • Medication management

  • Counselling and support

  • Fitness and rehabilitation

  • Allied health support such as podiatry or occupational therapy

  • After hospital care

  • Goods and equipment such as mobility aids

  • Social support and other activities

  • Nursing care such as changing dressings on wounds

  • End of life care at home

Types of home care

If you want to stay in your own home but need assistance to continue living independently, you can get support from the Government. You can access home care support through the Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP) or the Home Care Packages (HCP) program.

Entry level support is offered through the CHSP, if you only need basic assistance to continue living independently at home.

If your needs exceed the level of assistance offered through CHSP, then the HCP program can offer higher intensity support to help you stay at home.

How to access Government funded home care services

In Australia, there are a wide variety of organisations and businesses offering different home support services to help you at home.

The Australian Government provides funding for home care packages, and these are offered via providers using the ‘Consumer Directed Care’ principles of service. This means you can choose the type of home support you receive, when you receive it and who you receive it from.

If you are accessing Government funded aged care services for the first time, you will need to be assessed to determine your level of care needs. Contact My Aged Care via its website or call the My Aged Care contact centre on 1800 200 422.

Types of assessment

When you contact My Aged Care, a representative will discuss your needs by asking questions about:

  • Any support you are currently receiving

  • If you have any health concerns

  • How you are managing with activities around the home

  • Some questions relating to your safety in the home.

The outcome of this conversation depends on your needs. You will either be referred to services, need a face-to-face home support assessment through the Regional Assessment Service (RAS), or if you have more complex needs, a more comprehensive assessment conducted by an existing Aged Care Assessment Team (ACAT) or (or ACAS in Victoria) may be required.

The more comprehensive assessment may also be organised if you are leaving hospital or you are in need of respite care.

Choosing your home care provider

Under the consumer directed care, you can choose whoever you want to provide your services. If you are eligible for several services, you may choose one provider for your domestic tasks and another one to assist with your medication management.

If you already know which provider or providers you would like to deliver your home care services, ask My Aged Care to arrange for them to contact you.

Alternatively, you can ask My Aged Care for a referral code, and when you decide on which provider you would like to receive help from, contact it direct with the referral code.

Financial contribution

The Australian Government provides subsidies for home care services through its Commonwealth Home Support Programme and Home Care Packages. 

However Government funding does not always cover the entire cost of the services needed and, depending on your income, you may have to contribute towards the cost of your home services.

The amount you contribute is on a means tested basis.

Always discuss with your provider the financial aspects of your home care service before you receive the relevant service.

Other home care services

Local organisations

Some councils and charities offer some services such as transport, social support and help with home and garden maintenance. Many of these services are free or require a minimum payment.

Private home care

You can pay entirely for your home support services through a private home care provider. Private home care providers offer the full range of services including 24-hour Registered Nurses for complex care needs, physiotherapists and drivers, and carers to assist with shopping and personal care. There is no limit to the number of hours of care provided.

There is no need for Government assessments. The provider will talk with you and tailor a package according to your needs and wishes.

As private home care services are arranged directly between you and the private home care company, be sure to ask for a full breakdown of what you will be receiving and paying for, and where there may be any additional costs.

Source: This article was originally published on https://www.agedcareguide.com.au/information/home-care-introduction. Reproduced with permission of DPS Publishing.


Important:
This provides general information and hasn’t taken your circumstances into account.  It’s important to consider your particular circumstances before deciding what’s right for you. Although the information is from sources considered reliable, we do not guarantee that it is accurate or complete. You should not rely upon it and should seek qualified advice before making any investment decision. Except where liability under any statute cannot be excluded, we do not accept any liability (whether under contract, tort or otherwise) for any resulting loss or damage of the reader or any other person. 

Any information provided by the author detailed above is separate and external to our business and our Licensee. Neither our business nor our Licensee takes any responsibility for any action or any service provided by the author. Any links have been provided with permission for information purposes only and will take you to external websites, which are not connected to our company in any way. Note: Our company does not endorse and is not responsible for the accuracy of the contents/information contained within the linked site(s) accessible from this page.

Share this post

Varsity Lakes

Phone:  07 5580 9489

Suite 1303, Lakeside 2, Bermuda Point, 1 Lake Orr Drive, Varsity Lakes, QLD 4227 

Email : [email protected]

Mailing Address:
PO Box 1040
Burleigh Heads QLD 4220

Mon - Fri: 8.30 am - 4.30 pm
Sat - Sun: Closed

Kirra

Phone: 07 55 361 301

60 Musgrave Street, 
Kirra QLD 4225


Email: [email protected]

Mailing Address:
PO Box 855,
Coolangatta QLD 4225

Mon - Fri: 8.30 am - 4.30 pm
Sat - Sun: Closed

Brisbane City

Phone: 07 3067 7960

Suite 3, Level 25 
215 Adelaide Street, Brisbane City QLD

Email : [email protected]

Mailing Address:
PO Box 845,
Brisbane QLD 4001

Mon - Fri: 8.30 am - 4.30 pm
Sat - Sun: Closed

Brisbane South

Phone:  07 3392 0077 

Level 1 Suite 2 4 Clunies Ross Ct, Eight Mile Plains Qld 4113 


Email : [email protected]

Mailing Address:
Suite 375, 7 Clunies Ross Ct, Eight Mile Plains QLD 4113.

Mon - Fri: 8.30 am - 4.30 pm
Sat - Sun: Closed