Making the most of Your Home Care Package

Have you received the approval for a Home Care Package OR need support to continue living at home?

If you are an older person who needs support and coordinated services to continue living at home you may be eligible for Home Care Packages Program. The Australian Government provides a subsidy to approved home care providers like Home Care Assistance of South East Melbourne towards a package of care, services and case management to meet your individual needs.

You can access different services like help with showering, dressing, cleaning, meal preparation, going shopping or attending social activities under the home care package. All the home care packages must be provided on a Consumer Directed Care basis. You have the choice and flexibility in the way that the care and support are provided.

At Home Care Assistance South East Melbourne, they spend time to listen and understand the client’s needs, preferences and wishes so that these are accommodated in your unique care plan. Each level of home care package provides a different subsidy amount and this contributes to the total cost of your services and care delivery. You may be eligible for an additional payment supplement based on specific care need.

Care-coordinator work with clients to develop an individualised budget. Different providers offer different packages and based on their fees and charges are able to deliver care services up to

• 2 hours/week for Level 1 Home Care Package
• 4 hours/week for Level 2 Home Care Package
• 9 hours/week for Level 3 Home Care Package
• 18 hours /week for Level 4 Home Care Package

After your services begin, you must receive a monthly statement that show the charges to your home care package funds for care and services, charges made to your home care package by the service provider to cover administration and case management costs, and the unspent balance. Home Care Assistance South East Melbourne can provide you with a paper or email based statement. They provide ongoing monitoring and formal review to ensure that your package continues to meet your needs.

If your circumstances change the plan is reviewed to suit your needs or you may need to look at other options, including:

• being reassessed to see if you are eligible for a higher level of package
• using your own money to purchase top up services.

You can choose to change home care package providers, if you’re after a better fit or require particular services that your current provider doesn’t offer. Home Care Assistance South East Melbourne can assist you to change provider easily.

Smrity Bagga OT, Associate fellow ACHSM (03)90051159 Home Care Assistance South East Melbourne