Home care services can ultimately make a significant difference to the lives of you or your loved one in a variety of ways.
But with any professional health care service, there are financial considerations to be aware of.
These include:
- How much do in-home care services cost?
- Can these services be accessed through government funds?
With these questions in mind, we have created this guide on the funds and costs associated with home care services.
We recognise that everyone’s situation can be slightly different to others, so how these funds are used will depend on the individual’s circumstances.
Home Care Funding
There are three methods to get your home care services funded, and each of them will provide different levels of care, ranging from a basic level of care such as cleaning and grocery shopping all the way through to in-home support for medical conditions such as dementia.
The government funds you receive will depend on the level of support you require which is always determined by My Aged Care; what they do can be explained in our guide on their services.
The main funding options include:
- Fee for service
- Home care packages (HCP)
- Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP)
Fee For Service
The fee-for-service option provides you or your loved one the ability to privately fund the necessary home care services.
This might be a consideration for you or your loved one if you:
- Aged care website My Aged Care has assessed you and determined you are ineligible for government funding
- Are eligible for this but are waiting for government-funded services to become available to you
- You’re already receiving government funds but want to acquire additional services on top what you are already receiving
Home Care Packages (HCP)
Home care packages inherently provide a higher level of home care that allows for more flexibility and choice of services based on your individual needs.
There are four levels of home care packages that are subsidised by the Australian government and are used towards tailored care, services and case or care management.
My Aged Care will organise an assessment of your situation and allocate you a home care package that you can use to achieve any goals you might have.
Essentially, you’ll decide how to spend your home care package funds giving you full control over your level of care.
The same home care services will be available for you to choose from at all four levels but the amount of government funding will be different at each level.
These home care services will include medical management, home modifications, respite care services, Allied Health Care, gardening services, and much more.
Typically, levels 3 & 4 will place great emphasis on delivery complex care situations in the home which will include more medical care when needed.
Commonwealth Home Support Programme
This is considered an entry-level care of support for elderly people who need assistance with various daily tasks.
Typically, this program is used for those who are recovering from an illness or change in their health, or who might need some help with their domestic house duties.
To be eligible for this level of care support you need to fit the following criteria:
- Aged 65 years or older
- 50 years or older and identify as an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander
- 50 years or older and are on a low income, homeless or at significant risk of homelessness
If you would like to hear more about how Accent Home Care can assist you with a higher level of home care, call us on (03) 8720 1338 or email us on homecare@accenthomecare.org.au.