Aged Care
Step 1
Contact My Aged Care 1800 200 422 to request an aged care assessment.
Step 2
Assessment: My Aged Care will contact you with a date and time for your assessment. This will determine if you are eligible for a Home Care Package, it will also determine the level of care that you need.
Step 3
Approval: You will receive a letter from My Aged care to confirm the outcome of your assessment. If approved, you will be placed on the National wait list until your package becomes available.
Step 4
Once you have been assigned a Home Care Package- you can select a provider like Life Unlimited Support Services to deliver your supports.
Call our qualified case manager – Del Thompson on (02) 4982 9300 she will work with you and your loved ones to develop a plan and get your services in place, to meet your goals and your needs.
Home Care Packages
There are four levels of Home Care Packages which can give you the care and services you need:
Level 1
Basic care needs – approx. 1 – 2 hours of service per week
Level 2
Low level care needs – approx. 3 – 5 hours of service per week
Level 3
Intermediate care needs – approx. 7 – 9 hours of service per week
Level 4
High level care needs – approx.0 – 13 hours of service per week
Each package level is funded (with a budget) at different amounts by the Australian Government.
The services available via a Home Care Package include, but are not limited to:
Personal care
Showering, grooming, and dressing
Lawns and Garden Maintenance
Keeping your yard and access to your home tidy and safe
General household chores
Like cleaning and meal preparation
Social Support
Visiting a friend, group activities i.e., movies, lunch, attractions
Transport
For shopping and medical appointments
Care Coordination
And remember you have the flexibility and choice to change how often and when you use the services, and how you budget the spending on those services.
There are some things you CANNOT use your home care package for
A Home Care Package cannot be used to pay for:
- home improvements that are not related to your care needs.
- paying your rent or mortgage
- buying your groceries
- paying for holidays
- Cost of entertainment activities
- Payment for services and items covered by the Medicare Benefits Schedule or the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme
- Payment of Home Care Fees
Fees & Charges
Home Care Packages are provided at 4 different levels, and each is assigned a budget by the Federal Government.
The total package budget is made up of the following:
- The Government subsidy (dependent on the package level)
- The income tested fee (if applicable to you) this is determined by Services Australia (Centrelink)
- The basic daily care fee (if applicable and can be negotiated).
Income-tested care fee
Depending on your income, the Government may ask you to contribute more to the cost of your care. This is called an income-tested care fee and is different for everyone because it is based on an individual’s income.
Care Management Fee
This fee is paid from your Home Care Package budget and will be itemised in your monthly statement. The Care Management fee includes things like:
- reviewing the home care agreement and care plan to make sure it fits in with your needs.
- coordinating and scheduling your services
- ensuring the care aligns with other supports.
- providing a point of contact for you/your support network
- ensuring care is culturally appropriate.
- identifying and addressing risks to your safety
Package Management Fee
This fee is paid from your Home Care Package budget and will be itemised in your monthly statement. Package Management means the ongoing tasks we do to deliver and manage your Home Care Package. This includes:
- preparing monthly statements
- managing package funds including claiming your subsidy
- meeting compliance and quality assurance standards
Review and Exit Fees
Please note we do not charge an additional review fee over and above the Care Management fee. We do not charge exit fees when you no longer need your package or change providers.
Your costs are charged from your package, not from your pocket.