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Home Care in Australia

Home care is aimed at maintaining a person's quality of life in their home by supporting them with their physical needs and daily activities.

Home Care might be for people who are getting older, are chronically ill, recovering from surgery or who have a disability.

Home Care Packages

Sometimes called a HCP, this is the most common type of Home Care supplied nationally, available at 4 levels with level 1 supplying the lowerest level of care and 4 supplying the highest.

Commonwealth Home and Community Care

Also known as CHSP, if you live and cope on your own and don't yet need higher levels of support, then this care type is perfect for you

Home and Community care

Also known as HACC, only available within Western Australia, the aim of this program is to help people who are frail or have a disability to live independently at home by supporting them to do so.

Consumer Directed Care

Since February 2017, the government introduced a new approach, designed to give you more choice within your Home Care Package.

This new approach is called ‘Consumer Directed Care’. It means funding for a Home Care Package follows you - the consumer - rather than a provider.

Since February 2017

You can choose the provider that best meets your needs and if you want, who supplies the services too (and they don’t always need to be services from your provider).

You also have the flexibility to shop around and change provider if you wish.

The provider must work in partnership with you to make sure you are getting the services you need.
Costs are more transparent with you receiving an individualized budget and monthly income and expenditure statements.

STEP 1

What is Home Care

Here we look at all the different types of Home Care offered nationally and how where you live could impact the type of home care you receive.

STEP 2

Home Care Packages

Home Care Packages are the largest form of government subsidised Home Care nationally. There are also subsidies available under certain categories...

STEP 3

Aged Care Assessment Team

The ACAT is one of the first things that needs to be done when receiving a Home Care Package. This is the time to express everything that is...

STEP 4

Home Care Package Fee Structure

Understanding the finances, government subsidy and your own cost contributions can be very complex and is something that varies from person to person...

STEP 5

Package Provider Cost Components

What level your Home Care Package is, determines how much funding is available. Knowing how this funding is spent is really important. Here we...

STEP 6

Search Package Provider

You are in a partnership with your Home Care Package Provider so it is worth doing your research on them to make sure they are a good fit.

STEP 7

Search Service Provider

If you are looking for a specific service to be part of your home care package, then this directory of services will help you. We cover it all from...

STEP 8

Understanding Package and Service Providers

Understanding Package and Service Providers is crucial to understanding how your Home Care Package is delivered. There are some crossovers between...

STEP 9

Care Management Plan

All Home Care Packages, no matter what level, need to be case managed. There is flexibility as to how this is done. You can case manage your own care...

STEP 10

Home Care Agreement

The Home Care Agreement sets out everything about your Home Care Package including costs, case management, services and any extras. You need to know...

Meet The Donaldson Sisters

You may have heard them on the radio. Jill and Annie are The Donaldson Sisters and present conversations between friends who are 50 years and older, covering important topics and perspectives that are less frequently heard. They both come from medical backgrounds and continue to work in care and support. They respect and love the ageing journey and all who are on it. You will find tips and advice within our steps on how to successfully plan and implement your home care.

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A special thanks to our contributors

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Caroline Egan

DCM Media, agedcare101

Caroline has a wealth of experience writing within the retirement and aged care sector and is a contributing journalist for the Villages.com.au and agedcare101 blog and accompanying newsletters.

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Ian Horswill

Journalist

Ian is a journalist, writer and sub-editor for the aged care sector, working at The DCM Group. He writes for The Weekly Source, agedcare101, villages.com.au and the DCM Institute fortnightly newsletter Friday. Ian is in daily contact with CEOs of retirement living, land lease and the aged care operations and makes a new contact every week. He investigates media releases, LinkedIn and Facebook for a good source for ideas for stories.

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Lauren Broomham

Retirement and Aged Care Journalist

Lauren is a journalist for villages.com.au, agedcare101 and The Donaldson Sisters. Growing up in a big family in small town communities, she has always had a love for the written word, joining her local library at the age of six months. With over eight years' experience in writing and editing, she is a keen follower of news and current affairs with a nose for a good story.

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Jill Donaldson

Physiotherapist

Jill has been practicing as a clinical physiotherapist for 30 years. For the last 13 years she has worked solely in the Aged Care sector in more than 50 metropolitan and regional facilities. Jill has also toured care facilities in the US and Africa and is a passionate advocate for both the residents in aged care and the staff who care for them. She researches and writes for DCM Media.

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Chris Baynes

DCM Media, agedcare101

Chris has been a journalist and publisher in the retirement village and aged care sectors for 11 years. He has visited over 250 retirement villages and 50 aged care facilities both within Australia and internationally. Chris is a regular speaker at industry conferences plus is a frequent radio commentator.

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Annie Donaldson

Nurse and Carer

Annie has a long career in both nursing and the media. She has planned and co-ordinated the medical support from both international TV productions and major stadium events. In recent years she has been a primary family carer plus involved in structured carer support.