17 hours ago
2
The amount an older person contributes is determined by an income and assets assessment.
What about providers’ fees?
Providers can no longer take large percentages of the funding in administration fees. And they must stay under the government’s maximum rates and publish their fees transparently.
What are the most common challenges families face when exploring home care?
The biggest challenge is often not knowing where to start. The next major challenge is understanding what things cost.
Another common issue is timing, as most people don’t think about aged care services until something goes wrong. And then they have to navigate assessments and support options during a time when stress levels are high.
Finally, there’s the emotional layer: older parents often don’t want help, while adult children feel guilty and stretched.
At what age, or in what situation, should someone begin planning home care?
When you start to notice changes in someone’s ability to keep on top of their everyday living or moving around their home unassisted. For many people, this happens in their late 70s or early 80s, but it can be earlier.
Don’t wait for a crisis. Step in and get them assessed, so lower levels of support can be put in place early.
What options are available to me to manage my services?
The market is made up of two types of models to manage your funding:
Self Managed services: You choose your service providers, set your schedule, and control your budget. This model offers flexibility and independence, unlike traditional providers who manage everything.
HomeMade’s Self Managed Service helps you self-manage your Support at Home funding with confidence to access affordable care that doesn’t compromise on quality. Their expert team is here to support you, providing guidance and tools to make managing your care easier.
Fully Managed services: A provider handles all aspects of your care package, from coordinating and scheduling services (carers, cleaners, therapists) to managing the budget and finances, ensuring compliance, and handling all paperwork, offering convenience and expertise but with less direct control than self-managed options.
With HomeMade’s fully managed service, you can still enjoy choice and control, with the reassurance of their expert team managing everything for you. They set up your care plan and find your providers, and you can have your say on who provides your support.
What steps should people take to organise support at home?
There are steps to follow when organising support for a loved one. Credit: iStock
- Sit down with your parent and talk about what’s getting harder, what they want as they age, and what would help them feel safe and independent at home.
- Get a proper picture of their needs. Look at their mobility. How are they coping with personal hygiene, meals, cooking, shopping and medications? Are they living safely?
- Request an assessment through My Aged Care, as it’s the gateway to support and accessing financial subsidy for it.
- While you’re waiting, take the opportunity to learn about the market and consider your options. Shortlist providers, compare their prices against the caps, ask how quickly they can start, and check whether you can choose the support workers for your mum or dad, or if the provider will roster people for you.
- A bit of help with cleaning or transport can set Mum or Dad up early (if there’s no crisis) and keep them living independently for far longer.
A solution for success
“My mum had a stroke about three years ago,” says Sue. “Prior to that, she was the most independent, stoic, proud woman.”
Sue lives in Melbourne, more than 2800km away from her mum in Cairns. “Finding aged care providers, to be quite frank, was a nightmare,” she says. “I wanted my mum to be able to choose, to feel comfortable and to get workers she felt comfortable with.”
After finding that some providers didn’t provide the control and choice that they had promised, Sue ended up organising in-home care through home care provider, HomeMade.
“We have a support worker that we could choose ourselves. I looked at them, approved of them, and sent them to my sister, who approved of them.
“My mum is so happy with this whole experience. She loves it. She tells me: ‘This is the best thing you could have done.’”
This advertisement is brought to you by HomeMade.
Get the support you need your way, with HomeMade, The best value home care provider in Australia.
Visit HomeMadeSupport.com.au
