Understanding home care: everything you need to know

Through June and July, Starts at 60 and Freedom Aged Care will be exploring the many ways you can navigate the aged care system. If you’re not sure which level of care is right for your loved one, click here to learn more.

When a beloved relative is struggling to live independently, but is also very determined to remain in their own home, it can be a weighty concern.

It’s at this point that many families consider home care, which is one of the three main care options available in Australia for your loved one. Other viable options include supported-living residences (also known as home care communities) and more traditional residential aged care.

Imagine living in your own private home with the comfort and knowledge that you should never have to move again, because regardless of the changes in your level of needed care.

Most basically, home care entails any form of care that your loved one can receive that helps them to continue to live largely independently in their own residence.

As Peter Hanley, the managing director at care advisers CarePilot, explained to Starts at 60, home care services can range from assistance with personal care and domestic duties, to the provision of transport or nursing services.

“There’s a much wider smorgasbord of services you can choose from these days,” Hanley said.

“It’s very often the case for a care worker to support daily living activities such as personal care and domestic duties, cooking meals, showering etc.

“Some home care packages include a component of social and psychosocial support, companionship and helping people connect with the things that interest them.”

Home care services can include visits from health professionals.

“For example, someone with mobility issues might have a podiatrist visit to check on their feet and make sure they have appropriate footwear or they might have an in-home physio appointment,” Hanley explained.

Australia’s home care system underwent big changes in February that aimed to hand more control to consumers.

The new system of Consumer Directed Care (CDC), as it is known, gives the user more say in who cares for them and what care they receive.

“It’s not for us to say what care you should be receiving, the whole intent of Consumer Directed Care is to be guided by what is important for each individual,” Hanley said.

“Care experts such as myself will only have a voice in that conversation if we see issues the consumers may not have thought of.”

How can home care be accessed?

Your family member can get access to home care either by qualifying for a government-supported care package or by paying for home care services privately.

To qualify for a home care package, they must register with the government’s MyAgedCare portal.

MyAgedCare’s assessors decide whether the applicant has ‘entry level’ or more substantial care needs.

Those accessed as having entry level needs receive Commonwealth Home Support, which is effectively the basic level of home care support.

But those assessed as having more significant needs will be graded into one of four levels, with the levels determining the amount of funding they can access to subsidise the cost of care.

“It boils down to what level of functional impairment you have and what services you require to help you stay independent in your home” Hanley explained.

Once the user’s been accessed, they go through another process to determine how much they user will contribute toward the cost of the home care package.

This requires filling in a form from Centrelink, and being subjected to the benefits agency’s financial means and assets tests.

With a government-supported package, the basic daily care fee is $10 a day or $3,500 per year for all users, according to Hanley. This sum increases to a maximum of $14,000, depending on the users’ personal assets.

Full Age Pension recipients are exempt from income-tested care fees, and part-pensioners are required to pay only up to a maximum of about $5,200.

Although the government does require the user or their family to pay this subsidy, its supported care packages can provide care worth as much as $50,000 a year.

How quickly can I get care?

Even if an applicant is deemed eligible for government assistance, they won’t be able to access home care straight away. In fact, most people end up a waiting list for care funding.

Hanley told Starts at 60 that government-funded home care packages were currently strictly rationed, with about 45 packages available for every 1,000 Aussies over the age of 70, although that number is due to increase every year.

“The government isn’t publishing how long you wait, but we’ve had clients who have waited over 12 months,” Hanley said.  “Others get them quite quickly, it’s a bit of a lottery.”

Once allotted a package, you can link up with an approved home care provider of your choice.   

If you’re unsure of which provider to choose, the Linkage Care advisory service can help you decide the best option for your loved one. Click here to learn more.

What if I pay privately for care?

Paying privately to access home care privately means your family member won’t have to go through any of the government assessment or means testing. It’s as simple as calling a provider and organising care.

When it comes to accessing home care services privately, the cost will vary depending on the user’s needs.

“We have clients who access home care services as little as an hour or two each week, and others who have 24/7 care privately,” Hanley said.

The upsides of home care

While the home care system can be complex, it offers many benefits.

As Hanley pointed out, older Australians increasingly preferred to stay in their own home for as long as possible.

“I think there are very real quality of life benefits in staying close to the things you’re familiar with, that give you meaning in life – whether that’s the community you live in, your friends, neighbours, pets, garden or family,” he said.

“Home care helps maintain a sense of identity and a sense of independence, compared to the stress and disruption of moving to into a residential care facility, which can be quite distressing for some older people.”

There are also the financial benefits, with home care experts claiming that home care worked out cheaper than residential care.

“The upfront cost with a move into an institutional setting can be quite significant, even before you pay the ongoing costs,” Hanley said.

“Many people are financially much better off staying at home, even if they have to pay for the some of the support to be able to do that.”

Stay tuned for the next instalments to learn more about the next levels of care available for your loved one: Home Care Communities and Nursing Homes.

Have you considered home care for you loved one? Share your story in the comments below.