[April Bradford]

SDC Members: Thoughts on the In-Home Care Packages​

Recently, you will have read our article detailing the increasing number of in-home care packages available in Australia. If you missed it, catch up on the news here.

We received some insightful comments from SDC members who are already recipients of this program or in the process of applying.

We thought we’d share their personal insights so you can have a first-hand account of the process.

Member @Vertho said: ‘I live in the country and as often as I have asked around or gone to people of authority (medical) I have been given the royal runaround as to where, whom, how I am able to get some assistance.’

We totally understand. It can be a real nightmare getting the answers you need from government agencies and healthcare providers sometimes!

Sharing your experience benefits everyone. Image Credit: Shutterstock​

@chezna stated: ‘I have been waiting for 8 months for an ACAT assessment so I can get extra help! You don’t need a Dr for it you just need to contact MyAgedCare they will send out an assessor & on the CHSP there is $700 available for anyone over 65... it’s usually used for home cleaning or rails in the bathroom etc even the Uccello kettle (the one that tips over so you don’t have to lift it) anything above that needs a separate assessment for the ACAT packages.’

This is SO helpful to know and we hope your assessment is booked in soon. We included some contact details in our original article where you can follow up with MyAgedCare.

@52KID is one of our members who was approved for the package: ‘It's a great thing, and I have been approved for domestic assistance, some yard maintenance and an occupational therapist to come and look at my bathroom for renovations. Also, transport which I have used several times, but it is still not all that inexpensive. As for the others, it would be wonderful, EXCEPT that there is nobody in my area providing these services. I've been told to keep checking, but meanwhile, I still have to pay for these things myself.’

And member @Noraya works within this industry, giving us an inside look. ‘I’ve been working in community care (on all 4 levels) for almost 20 years now, and am currently older than my clients (except one!) Being disabled myself I often feel I should get help myself, instead of providing it to others, but making their lives better and easier is making my life so much better, too! Unfortunately, the pay is miserable, given the sometimes physically, always mentally draining hard work and the huge responsibility we have.’

An emerging theme seems to be a lack of providers in remote areas.

@myopinion is one such member facing this struggle. ‘Currently I am classified in a remote area of Victoria, I am currently on a level 2 package, and have to find my own lawn mowing. The local medical clinic only has locums. but we are grateful for that. There is NO transport available, and I have spent a lot of time trying to find it. The local clinic no longer does x-rays and there is no transport to get it done so x-rays are just abandoned.’

For those who have the services available, the feedback has been positive.

@Glenda48: ‘I have just had my package come through. It had taken some time but is well worth it. As we age, speaking for myself in particular, we think we can do everything. It soon becomes obvious that we’re not as flexible as we were. Balance is not quite the same. More aches and pain. Through “My Aged Care” there is so much support to ensure you are safe in your own home. Getting the physical and mental health help you may require. Mobility aids also. If you need help, ask.’

@Ricci: ‘I have been on level 1 help for a year now. A lovely lady comes for an hour and a half once a week. She cleans my bathroom, vacuums and washes all the floors. This has been such a help for me as I can no longer do those chores and I was getting depressed at not being able to keep my home as pristine as I would like. It's not as much time as I would like but I'm not complaining although having read this article I'm going to be questioning the pricing as I have been paying a copayment of $12.50 per hour and according to the information in the article I shouldn't be paying anything.’

@Liz: ‘Having been on Level 2 for a few years, I am very grateful for the help to go shopping and transport to medical appointments and also cleaning although I do as much as I can. The social support part can be helpful as well to get you out of your home and meet other older members of the community. The provider I have is having trouble getting staff along with almost all the providers. I don't know how you solve this problem as it is a low-paid job. My experience is that the workers I have had are all marvellous people who have a genuine interest in the older population. I hope more people can benefit as I have. I certainly don't want to go into a nursing home and appreciate all the help in the home I can get.’

Member @KDD shared an important piece of information regarding the payment. ‘Please remember...it is not a “grant to you” in the sense it becomes your money. Any unspent funds do not stay with you. They are returned to the government to help others.’

A big thank you to everyone who shared their thoughts and experiences in the comments! By sharing your experience, you’re helping many other members of the SDC community.

 

[ElizaKaye]

When the government give out tas cuts, they forget about pensioners who don't pay and tax, therefoer pensioners don't get the pay rise. I was assesssed to be eligible for a Level 2 package, but because I have a small private super, I was assess to have to pay $50 per week out of my pension - to the providers, I guess? At the moment I am receive 1 hour each fortnight for house cleaning under the CHSP. When one asks for help like garden maintenance, or home maintenance through the providers and through MyAgedCare, there is no one available. Even though doctors recommend people now to take some Vitamins, eg. Vit D, Calcium, Magnesium, Vit 12 etc. they don't write a prescription for them, therefore they are not on the list to be paid out of the package. So I had to make a decision not to take the package, as the Vit being recommended by the doctors, were more important to me. I could not afford to purchase the Vitamins and pay $50 PER WEEK out of my pension. I also have to pay for Car repairs, House repairs, and Increasing rates, insurance etc. that don't seem to be included in the CPI that the government use to calculate the pension.

 

[Ricci]

To anyone out there struggling I would say enquire at your local Community Centre. I know that at mine they have a group that helps older people stay in their homes with a little bit of gardening or yard clean up or similar. The local Men's Shed can also help with any small repairs that need doing. Maybe it's because I live rural and we have to be more self-sufficient I don't know, but if you don't ask you'll never know!!

 

[Young Grandad]

Good afternoon,

I have been reading the Home Package replies

I live in Melton and have been helping a lady find a provider, organise it, have an interview with one provider I suggested for her.

In the Melton area there are 63 provider organise agents, they will supply people to do all the work as requested by the client. The costs come from the Home Care Package, if the client has been allocated one.

In the list of providers some have workers in other parts of the state. After doing a lot of investigations into some of the providers, I found that many of them have workers in many different places.

Some of the providers offices are even interstate. My suggestion would be to look int the provider CHARGES and then find where their workers areas are. Some will even employ workers where the client lives to help out.

I hope this has been of some help to someone.