At Whiddon, we wholeheartedly understand that there is a need to maintain safety and independence while continuing to reside in the comfort of home. Our purpose is to work together in providing our Community Care services to achieve your loved one’s goals and keep them closely connected to what holds the utmost significance in their life.
Our wonderful and dedicated carers take the time to really get to know our clients and understand what matters most to them. This is part of our MyLife award-winning model of care. This allows us to develop stronger relationships with our clients and ensure we’re helping them reach their goals.
Our approach to care is to partner with you, and family or friends you wish to be involved in your care, to build a personalised and flexible care plan just for you.
We ensure that you have at least two-thirds of your Home Care Package funds to use on services, rather than administrative overheads
Care Calls – as a Whiddon customer you can access 5 calls per week, free of charge
No additional costs for staff to travel to your home
Lower on-charges for your purchases and additional services, like allied health & outsourced specialty services
Affordable care management to ensure you’re supported by our expert Coordinators
Dedicated and regular care workers, and our award-winning relationship based care model
Access to our Community Coordinators and Scheduling Teams who support you with your care, service bookings and changes
Invitations to join Whiddon social programs held by Community Care
Support to access & organise respite care at our nearby Residential Homes
Priority access to Whiddon Retirement Villages and support to organise your move
Assistance to access additional support equipment or assistive technologies
There’s a wide range of Community Care services including health, care and support services available through your Home Care Package. What you access depends on what you need and want, and what will support your wellbeing goals. Services range from personal care, housework and home modifications, to transport and social support – see what home care services Whiddon offer: Accompanied transport, Social groups and support, Gardening, Home and household, Meals and groceries, Pet care, Nursing and specialist clinical care, Care Call Service, Social Groups, Personal Care Technology Assistance
There are four levels of Home Care Packages in Australia to meet different care needs and the level that you’re approved at is based on the outcome of your Aged Care Assessment (ACAT).
Each Home Care Package level receives a set amount of funding from the government that can be used to pay for care and support services to keep you living at home.
The first step is to understand your options. Talk to your family, support person, GP or a provider like Whiddon to see what types of support services are available and for help with goal planning.
Second step is for people who are looking at subsidised care through a Home Care Package – you can arrange an assessment directly through My Aged Care, or contact us and we’ll assist you for free.
Research your options and shop around – what are you looking for? What do the providers offer? Do they feel like the right fit for you? Ask about fees and costs, the number of hours of service you’ll receive, office locations, care worker qualifications and care and package management fees.
Choose a provider and get started! Meet the team who will support you, create your care plan and talk about what’s important to you and your lifestyle. At this point you should be signing your Agreement and getting started with planning your care and services.
Regardless of the level of care Whiddon provides, it’s important to understand that there is a level of coordination and care provided to help us achieve your goals with you. This is what the care management fee covers.
Package management fees are a little bit different to the care management fee. This fee covers the administration side of your Home Care Package including initial setups, administration support, supplier payments, liaising with MyAgedCare and Medicare and working with you to manage your package funds.
Yes, Whiddon offers Self-Managed Home Care Packages
Self-managing your care is a great option for people who want and are able to manage their services. At Whiddon, we ensure that all of our clients, whether they self-manage or have their services managed by our team, are in the driver’s seat with full control over your care and services. How you self-manage can be flexible, depending on your circumstances, needs and what you’re comfortable with.
Some consumers may use some of their funds for equipment or for modifications to their home to enable them to stay at home (like adding a ramp to access the home), others might use all of their funds on care services.
Equipment and modification requests are always reviewed by both your provider and other health professionals, like your GP, physiotherapist or similar, to ensure that the outcome will support your goals.
For some consumers, the biggest impact on well-being has been achieved through enabling them to continue doing what they love, or staying connected to their local area and community. It’s important that whatever the identified solution is, it is developed in partnership between the consumer and care provider and it meets the identified needs that are documented in the care plan. There’s a great resource about how to use your funding here
