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13 Mar 2024
A NEW era in aged care started last week and gives senior Australians greater flexibility around the help they can get while remaining in their own home.
The home care overhaul offers more choice, and is also expected to deliver better value for money than the previous system, which critics say was rife with rip-offs.
But with choice comes complexity, so knowing where to start — and what you may be entitled to — is crucial.
Many seniors, as well as their adult children who are helping them out, may not know that they could receive financial assistance towards home care services such as nursing, domestic help, home modification, grocery shopping, physiotherapy and podiatry.
Dr Peter Hanley, the managing director of home care provider CarePilot, said 3.7 million Australians aged over 65 were potentially eligible.
There are several funding options, including different levels of home care packages ranging from $8000 to almost $50,000 a year of government subsidies.
From February 27, the Government started subsidising home care directly to seniors instead of making bulk payments to service providers, some which had paid themselves up to 40 per cent of the money in administration fees.
The first step for anyone thinking about home care is to visit the myagedcare.gov.au website or telephone 1800 200 422. Home care providers also operate their own websites, and some have produced booklets and other guides.
Home Instead Senior Care founder Martin Warner said seniors group COTA Australia also was a good source of information.
The process can take several months, including being visited by an Aged Care Assessment Team, means testing, fees and waiting lists. “It’s a matter of going through the process and identifying whether it’s worth it for you,” Mr Warner said.
Dr Hanley said the increased options under the new home care system could make the process daunting but examining them was “worth it because of the benefits”.
“A lot of people don’t want to think about it because they see themselves as independent … but a little bit of support can help them maintain their independence for longer,” he said.
“It’s important to start the process earlier than you think you might need it.
“It’s consumer directed care so the choice is always with consumers, but it’s good to have an expert to help guide those decisions.
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