Accessing care

My Aged Care is the starting point for people over 65 years and is the gateway for information, assessment, and referral service.

There are multiple options for you or a member of your family to contact My Aged Care.

Phone 1800 200 422 Website www.myagedcare,gov.au Opening Hours Mon – Fri 8am - 8pm Saturday 10am – 12pm

TYPES OF SERVICES YOU CAN ACCESS THROUGH MY AGED CARE

1. Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP)

This offers a range of basic care services in the home which are suited to people who are mainly independent but need some help with daily living tasks. Services are subsidised by the Government but you may be asked to pay a small fee, which depends on your income and the services you need. Types of services include: • Personal care • Assistance with housekeeping (cleaning, laundry, etc) • Home maintenance • Meals (help with cooking or delivering meals) • Social support • Transport • Health services (nursing, allied health, etc). • Goods, Equipment and Assistive Technology (G.E.A.T)

2. Home Care Package

Home Care Packages available for those who may have more complex needs to be able to receive care in their home rather than a residential service. There are four levels of Home Care Package for different levels of care and support needs. Each level receives a different amount of funding. You may be required to pay a basic daily fee plus an additional contribution based on your assessable income. This additional fee is capped to an annual amount and a lifetime cap. These packages are offered as Consumer Directed Care, which means you can direct how the funds are spent. Types of services you can access include • Personal services • Nutrition, hydration, meal preparation and diet • Continence management • Mobility and dexterity • Nursing, allied health and therapy services • Transport and personal assistance • Management of skin integrity

A Home Care Package may also support the use of:

Telehealth: video conferencing and digital technology (including remote monitoring) to increase access to timely and appropriate care assistive technology: such as devices that assist mobility, communication and personal safety aids and equipment: particularly those that assist a person to perform daily living tasks can be purchased using funds from your package budget.

Approved home care providers work in partnership with you to tailor care and services to best support your needs and goals.

3. Short-term restorative care

Short-term restorative care is designed to help you reverse or slow the difficulties you are having with everyday tasks. If you wish to return to earlier levels of independence, short-term restorative care could be an option for you. The program is delivered by a team of health professionals there to help you manage or adapt to your changing needs.

4. Transitional care

Transitional care helps you recover after a hospital stay. It provides short-term specialised care and support to help you regain your functional independence and confidence sooner, and avoid the need for longer term care and support services. The service can be delivered in a residential setting or at home.

5. Residential respite

Residential respite provides short-term care on a planned or emergency basis in aged care homes to people who have been assessed and approved to receive it. ... The primary purpose of residential respite is to give a carer or care recipient a break from their usual care arrangements. A person who is approved for residential respite care can have up to 63 days of subsidised respite care in a financial year. This can be extended by up to 21 days at a time if approved by an Aged Care Assessment Team (ACAT).

6. Permanent Residential Care

Permanent Residential Care option is for those who can no longer live at home and need ongoing help with everyday tasks or health care. Leaving your own home and entering an aged care home isn’t an easy decision, but it doesn’t have to be a daunting one. An aged care home can give you the care and services you need to maintain your quality of life.

What to prepare before making the phone call to My Aged Care

To prepare, make a note of your medical history, issues you are facing with your health, what areas of your life this is having an impact on and where you need support. You will need your Medicare card handy as they will ask you for this over the phone. It is good to have someone with you when you make this call. When registering yourself on My Aged Care you can register and give permission to another person, maybe your spouse or children, to access your file in the future and speak on your behalf with My Aged Care.

My Aged Care telephone assessment - what to expect.

Make contact with My Aged Care they will undertake a telephone assessment. At the end of the assessment depending on the level of support you require, they will either refer you on to a Regional Assessment Service or ACAT who will then contact you for an in-home assessment.

What is the difference between the Regional Assessment Service (RAS) and the Aged Care Assessment Service (ACAS)?

The RAS undertake assessment for basic entry level services provided through the Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP). In this instance, the initial telephone assessment would have deemed that basic support was needed.

The ACAS on the other hand undertakes a comprehensive assessment by a clinician for those deemed through the initial telephone assessment to have complex health issues and limited support that cannot be met through the basic Commonwealth Home Support Program. ACAS provide approval for the Commonwealth Home Care Package, Residential Respite, Permanent Residential Care, Short Term Restorative Care and Transitional Care.

Preparing for the in-home assessment

Have two forms of ID ready. It is helpful to have a summary of your health conditions and medications listed. Keep a note of the type of support you need.

At the assesment, which can take 1-2 hours, you can have a family member or support person present.

After your face-to-face assessment, you will find out if you’re eligible for government-funded services - and if so, which ones you’re eligible for.

Accessing services

Those approved for a Home Care Package will be put on a national waiting list and will be advised via letter when their package is allocated to them. Those approved for the Commonwealth Home Support Program will be given service reference codes to activate with a Commonwealth home support program provider.

Those approved for short term restorative care, residential respite, transitional care and permanent residential care, can access services once approved. The Aged Care Assessment Team and Regional Assessment Service will provide clients with a list of service providers in the area. You can also get information from the My Aged Care website.

Private Care

If you don’t want to go through the formal government pathway to access care and support in the home, you can always contact services providers on the Sunshine Coast to access support on a fee for service. Most home care providers offer a private care service.

IF YOU FIND THIS WHOLE PROCESS DAUNTING AND NEED HELP, THEN CONTACT THE FOLLOWING BUSINESS:

IAGEWELL SENIOR SERVICE HUB

• Aged Care Advice • Connect you to care services on the Sunshine Coast • Residential Placement Support • Care Coordination

Phone 07 3041 1355 Mobile 0407 748 773 www.iagewell.com.au