Through your home care journey, you will see the term “Package Provider” and “Service Provider”. While they sometimes cross over, they are in fact two very different things.
All Package Providers also provide services which is why there can be a crossover between the two.
Package Provider
A Package Provider is an organization that not only supplies care but also develops and manages your care plan, working with you over the long term. A Package Provider receives your government subsidy and manages all other costs and finances. You can’t access this subsidy without a Package Provider. It is their job to provide you with a monthly statement on income and expenditure.
A Package Provider can also supply services if you wish (but you don’t have to use them just because you are with them).
Service Provider
A Service Provider is an organization or company, or even an individual who provides a service. This could be a registered nurse, a physiotherapist, a care worker who does your grocery shopping or someone who cleans your house. A Service Provider might be a person you’ve used in the past, such as a physiotherapist who has known you over a number of years. It is your choice if you want to continue with your physiotherapist rather than start with a new one.
It is possible for you to cherry-pick and to use some services provided by your Package Provider but also continue with Service providers you know and trust. Indeed, it can sometimes be cheaper to source your own Service Providers than use the ones recommended by your Package Provider, but if this is the case, then you may spend more time helping to manage these selected Service Providers. Ultimately it will be up to your provider if they will allow you to use the Home Care Package funding to pay for service providers outside of their organisation.
Jill Donaldson
agedcare101 Physiotherapist
