Home Care Packages

Have access to advocates and other avenues of redress

Be treated without exploitation, abuse, discrimination, harassment or neglect.

Under the Consumer Directed Care principles you also have the right to: Set your own goals for your supports

Determine the ongoing level of involvement and control you have over your home care

Make decisions in relation to your care

Maintain your independence as much as possible

Choose the care and services that best meet your goals and assessed needs, within the limits of the resources available

Have choice and flexibility in the way the care and services are provided in your home

Participate in making decisions that affect you

Have your representative - family member or close friendparticipate in decisions relating to your care if you request it or need support to make decisions

These rights mean you can live the life you want to live for as long as possible.

If you think your rights are not being respected you should talk to your provider about your concerns. If this does not solve the issue you can contact the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission.

Self-managing your HCP

The person who knows best about you and your needs is you. After making decisions for yourself throughout your adult life, it makes sense that you would want to maintain that control by self-managing your Home Care Package (HCP).

You may decide to organise and manage the coordination of your own supports in your package rather than utilise a case manager that would commonly deal with your package on your behalf and direct the care and support you receive.

As a consumer, you have every right to exercise that freedom to self-manage your package.

Some people who self-manage their own package find they have more choice and control over their HCP than before.

Additionally, people who self-manage their care can cut down on the administration costs and case management fees that they would normally have to pay. This means more of your package funding can go towards the care and services you require.

When you self-manage your HCP, you get to choose an approved provider, pick and manage your support workers, decide when you want to receive these services and negotiate how much you pay for the provided services.