Help at Home advice

It is normal to be unsure when thinking about arranging support at home – it is a big step. Additionally, people may be worried that an assessment means a fast-track to a nursing home. The reality is that having an assessment to arrange home care services can help you to remain independent at home for longer, and can even improve your quality of life. You can get started by calling My Aged Care on 1800 100 422.

Helping Hand also offers an alternative – Elevate by Helping Hand – which doesn’t require any assessment. All home care services we offer can be provided through Elevate, through a pay-per-service hourly fee arrangement.

The cost of help at home services varies from person to person, depending on what services you are receiving, and your own personal financial situation. The Government may contribute toward your care costs, and you may be asked to contribute towards them too if you can afford it. My Aged Care provides an overview of the costs involved on their website, and we also publish our fees for Home Care Packages and Elevate by Helping Hand on our website.

Transition care provides short-term care after a hospital stay to help you get back on your feet. You can have nursing, physical therapy and personal care services. You will need to have hospital staff arrange an assessment while you are still an inpatient, or you can arrange this yourself by phoning My Aged Care on 1800 200 422.

The Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP) supports older people who are still managing well, but want some extra assistance, at home. Home Care Packages (HCP) provide more care and support services on an ongoing basis, for people whose needs are more intensive or complex. Both programs give you support to stay at home, but there are some differences:

CHSP:

• choose from a set menu of services – there isn’t much flexibility
• only pay for the services you use
• dip in and out of the program as you need things
• have your eligibility assessed by the Regional Assessment Service (RAS).

HCP:

• a Home Care Coordinator helps you understand the system and work out a care plan that suits your individual needs and preferences
• you get your own funds to use and can decide how to spend it, rather than choosing from a menu
• once you have a package, it stays in place for the long term
• your eligibility is assessed by the Aged Care Assessment Team (ACAT).

You can talk to our Home Care Services team with any queries about your account, on 1300 444 663. You can also contact our Accounts Department on 08 8366 5426 if you are having trouble with a payment. Please have your Client ID number ready – this can be found on the top right-hand side of your Tax Invoice/Statement.

Yes. We’re really happy when you find a worker that you click with, and encourage you to let us know if you’d like a specific team member to visit you regularly. We will do our best to make sure we schedule them in with you, however at times it may not be possible if there has to be a last minute change to your service date or time. We will always let you know in advance if someone different to usual will be visiting you.

Please call our Home Care Services team on 1300 444 663 during business hours, and have your Client ID number ready (this can be found on the top right-hand side of your Tax Invoice/Statement). Please allow at least 24 hours notice when calling, to avoid being charged for a cancelled or changed visit.

Finding the right age care service is really important. We created a podcast to help people do just that by providing information and advice from people both delivering and receiving quality age care.

In the first episode of Age Old Problems: New Aged Care we discuss Home Care. With the help of Jo Carter Jones, Group Manager of Retirement Living and Housing at Helping Hand, and one of our Home Care clients Reg, we’ll help you learn:

• The difference between Home Care Packages and the Commonwealth Home Support Programme
• Who is eligible for Home Care
• What sort of services are available
• How best to start the process
• The documentation you need ready, and other tips for making the process run smoothly
• Where to seek the best advice
• Why you should be open to help
• And how accessing Home Care can make a happy life even happier!