How Home Care Can Help Older People Maintain Independence
As we age, you or a loved one may find it harder to complete our daily routines. Loss of stamina, vision issues and other health challenges can limit your ability to live your life as you once did. Fortunately, there are several aged care solutions that can help you or a loved one with daily tasks while still safely maintaining a sense of independence.
In Australia, the government supports a Home Care Packages program that provides older people the services to stay connected with their community and ensure their continued well-being. Below, we’ll outline how you can access these home care services to assist with needs such as cooking and cleaning, all without compromising your freedom.
What Is Home And Community Care
Home and community care are services that can help older people continue living independently. They are specially designed to help older adults spend less time worrying about their daily routines and divert their energy to enjoy life to the fullest by keeping in touch with their local communities. Maintaining your social life with the help of services such as aged care transport is also essential for mental and physical well-being as you grow older, reducing any feelings of isolation and loneliness that may arise. Other home and community care services may include:
- Personal Care: Includes daily activities such as grooming, dressing and feeding.
- Home Maintenance: Includes household tasks such as cleaning, gardening, and rubbish disposal.
- Social Services: Includes home visits for chats and company, emotional support and transport to social clubs for older people.
- Medical Care: Includes nursing, medication management and other health care services.
Aged care providers such as Whiddon offer flexible support services that can be accessed and paid for with various methods. This can include Home Care Packages, the Commonwealth Home Support Program or paying privately, depending on your individual financial circumstances.
What Are Home Care Packages?
The Home Care Packages Program is designed to subsidise home and community support from registered providers. The Australian government funds these packages for eligible people, which help cover personalised services tailored to the recipient’s specific needs.
The eligibility for these services is determined by the Aged Care Assessment Team (ACAT) and My Aged Care. These government bodies will assign individuals with a set level of funding based on their needs and living arrangements.
- Level 1: Basic care needs
- Level 2: Low care needs
- Level 3: Intermediate care needs
- Level 4: High care needs
The actual cost of home care packages will depend on what services you require from the aged care provider that you choose, but they are mainly divided into three parts:
- Home Care Package Subsidy – The government pays this subsidy based on the level of funding you have been assigned.
- Basic Daily Care Fee – Your personal contribution to the services. It is capped at 17.5% of your pension.
- Income Tested Care Fee – This only applies to people with an income above a certain amount. A Centrelink assessment will determine your expected contribution.
How Can Whiddon Help?
As an award-winning aged care provider, we understand that independence is especially important as you grow older. That’s why our goal is to help you achieve this with various community care services that support your desire to continue living at home safely. This can range from helping you shop for groceries to walking and caring for your pets. We are also a registered Home Care Package provider, providing prebuilt and personalised plans for our services.
Begin your home care journey at Whiddon today by visiting our aged care services planner to give you a quick idea of our available support.