Choosing a provider

provider. Take the time to make a list of what supports are important to you and how potential providers can deliver the services you need and can help you manage at home. When considering a potential provider take your time to do some research:

◆ Look at the provider’s website, social media pages and online reviews

◆ Check out their credentials such as quality certifications and industry awards

You may want to start by writing down what you are looking for in a provider and what is important to you. Are low fees important to you or would you like a provider who can support your cultural needs? Do you want the same support worker to assist you each time and do you want to receive support on specific days or are more flexible with time?

It’s a good idea to discuss your wishes and options with your family and support network, as they may be able to help you research, provide independent opinions on providers or share personal experiences.

It’s useful to create a shortlist of providers in your local area, which may help narrow down your search. You can find nearby providers:

◆ In this Home Care Guide, there is a directory listing providers included by State and Territory in the Resources section of the publication

◆ Online on AgedCareGuide.com.au/ home-care

◆ On the Government’s My Aged Care Service Finder located on myagedcare.gov.au

◆ By contacting My Aged Care on 1800 200 422

It’s important to be prepared before meeting or speaking with a potential

◆ Do they have any past or present sanctions or notices of non-compliance? You can ask them directly or check the Government’s non-compliance finder tool at myagedcare.gov.au/ compliance-information/location

When you call a potential provider for the first time pay attention to how they answer your call.

Are staff friendly and happy to answer your questions or are they rushing you to get off the phone?

Questions to ask potential providers could include:

◆ How long have they been operating?

◆ Will you have a dedicated care manager?

◆ Can you choose who is going to provide certain services?

◆ Where and when will they provide your support?

◆ What costs are associated with their services?

– What are the hourly rates?

– Do they charge exit fees? If so, how much? How much notice do you need to give?

– Do they charge case management fees?

– Will there be any out-of-pocket expenses, like travel fees?

◆ How often will your plan and the services you receive be reviewed?

◆ How are they different to other service providers? What is their point of difference?

◆ Are their staff qualified? Do they have police checks?

◆ Do they have an understanding of and experiences with supporting people from different cultures and backgrounds?

◆ What checks do they complete to ensure quality of service?

◆ Do they offer private as well as Government funded services?

◆ If they have past or present sanctions, how did they deal/are they dealing with them?

◆ What is the process for, and how do they handle, complaints?

When meeting with a potential provider, take a copy of your Home Care Package approval letter and support plan and if possible the outcome of your income assessment as this will help with your discussions.

Once you’ve decided on a provider, make sure you receive a written agreement outlining your services and associated cost before support services commence.

Read more about the Care Agreement on page 118.

How to read the directory tables

The Resources section of this guide includes a selection of retirement village operators and home care service providers for each State and Territory. Refer to the directory contents on page 123 for detailed page numbers for each section. You’ll find useful phone numbers at the start of each section, followed by the Retirement Villages tables and Home Care Services tables.

Retirement Villages

The Retirement Villages listed in the tables have provided DPS Publishing with information related to their village and the services they offer.

The list gives an overview of villages by operator and includes location and contact details as well as the type of accommodation and a range of features indicated with icons.

The inclusion of an icon in any of the service columns stipulates that the Retirement Village operator indicated to DPS Publishing that this service was, in their opinion, available, provided or offered. The absence of an icon in any of the service columns does not imply that this service is not provided at the village.

Icons used within the Retirement Villages tables are:

Village Sizes

Small village (up to 30 dwellings)

Medium village (31-99 dwellings)

Large village (100+ dwellings)

W ILUs

U Serviced Apartments

V Supported Living

X Deferred Management Fee

T Co-Located Aged Care a Coded Keypad Entry

H Dining Room

P Hair & Beauty Salon r Hotel Services

E Personal Care

K Restaurant or Café

F Small Pets p Village Bus

L Village Centre d Boat Storage f Caravan Storage y Bowling Green

I Swimming Pool

The definitions on page 124 explain each service in more detail. The Advert page number refers to the advertisement for this organisation elsewhere in the publication. For a more extensive list of Retirement Villages search the website YourRetirementLiving.com.au or for more information on a chosen Retirement Village, type the associated Web ID numbers featured in this directory, in the search field on YourRetirementLiving.com.au .

Home Care Services

The Home Care Services table gives an overview of providers choosing to promote their services with DPS.

Web ID – Visit AgedCareGuide.com.au/home-care and type this number in the search field (top right) for more details on providers and their services

Listed in alphabetical order, the table displays contact details for each provider and the types of services they offer. The number(s) in the ‘Home Care Packages level’ column indicates the level of care this organisation can provide if you have been allocated a Home Care Package (HCP). 1–4 means the full range of HCP levels are supported.

There is an indication whether the provider delivers subsidised services under the Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP) or privately funded services, as well as the types of services they can provide.

The ‘Web ID’ number can be used as a unique identifier to find out more information about the provider on AgedCareGuide.com.au/home-care . You can enter the ID number into the search bar on the top right hand side of the website to view the full profile and range of services of the provider. Visit AgedCareGuide.com.au/home-care for a complete list of services available near you.

Abbreviations

Resources

Terms and Definitions

Aged Care Assessment Team/Service (ACAT/S) – Assess and approve older people for Australian Government subsidised aged care services.

ATSI – Services offered to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander older people and their carers.

Boat Storage – Any resident can store at least one boat on site at the retirement village.

Booked Respite Beds – When taking a break from your role as carer, it’s advisable to book a respite bed in advance at an aged care facility. Prior assessment by an ACAT/S is required.

Bowling Green – Fully maintained and operational bowling green for regular use at a retirement village.

CALD – Services offered to Culturally and Linguistically Diverse older people and their carers.

Caravan Storage – Any resident can store at least one caravan on site at the retirement village.

Care Plan – Developed by the service provider delivering your care and outlines care needs and instructions on how these needs will be met.

CHSP – Commonwealth Home Support Programme, a Government initiative funding in home or centre based care services.

Coded Keypad Entry – Electronic keypad or scanner used to ensure that only village residents and nominated persons can enter the site.

Co-located Aged Care – An aged care facility is located on site of a retirement village.

Consumer Directed Care (CDC) – Allows you to control the types of care you access, how it is delivered and who provides that care. All Home Care Packages are delivered on a CDC basis.

Deferred Management Fee – A deferred management fee is the amount a village operator deducts from the resident’s refund when they exit the village and is specified on the entry agreement or contract.

Dementia Services – Services offered to clients with dementia and/or challenging behaviours, as well as their carers.

Dining Room – There is a communal dining room in the retirement village where meals are provided on a daily basis.

Domestic Assistance – Help with tasks at home such as cleaning, dishes, washing clothes, ironing, minor meal preparation, changing bed linen.

Donor Funded – The price or entry contribution of a dwelling in a retirement village, paid by a resident which may be subsidised by a not-for-profit organisation.

Hair & Beauty Salon – A dedicated room in a retirement village that is regularly staffed to provide hair &/or beauty services.

Home Maintenance/Gardening –Assistance with jobs in and around the house such as replacement of tap washers, light globes, minor weeding/pruning, sweeping of outdoor areas, minor carpentry repairs and gutter cleaning. May include window cleaning.

Hotel Services – The services that you would expect at a four star hotel but delivered in your retirement village. Services may include fresh linen daily, cleaning, laundry and meals delivered to the room, on a fee for service basis.

Independent Living Unit (ILU) –Sometimes referred to as a villa and located in a retirement village setting.

Lease – Residents purchase a long term contract for a dwelling with the right to use common areas and facilities at a retirement village.

LGBTIQ – Some aged care services offer specific care to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex and Questioning residents.

Licence to Occupy – Residents purchase a licence agreement for a dwelling with the right to use common areas and facilities at a retirement village.

Meals &/or Shopping – Delivery of daily cooked or frozen ready-to-eat meals, or transport to the shops and assistance provided, or having someone to do the shopping.

Medication Supervision – Service provider attends the client’s home to assist in dispensing medication.

NESB – Services offered to older people from a Non-English Speaking Background (NESB) and their carers.

Palliative Care – A nurse will visit you at home to deliver end of life care services such as dispensing medication, wound management, convalescent care and pain management.

Personal Care – Assistance with personal hygiene, washing, showering, bathing, dressing, feeding and toileting. May be a Government funded of self-funded service.

Pharmaceutical Deliveries – The delivery of medications by a service provider directly to the client or older person’s home.

Privately funded services – Services delivered on a fee for service basis.

Regional Assessment Service (RAS) – In home assessments of new and existing clients/carers for CHSP services.

Rental Accommodation – An ILU, unit, apartment or villa available for rent in a retirement village.

Resident Committee – Residents of a village elect volunteers to be on a Committee that will uphold their interests and engage with administrators in the village.

Resident Funded – Funded by the resident who ‘purchases’ their dwelling under a tenure arrangement, also contributing to the village’s capital infrastructure and ongoing management costs.

Respite – Services provided so a client or their carer can take a break from their daily routine. Includes care in the client’s home, at a day centre or in an aged care facility.

Restaurant/Café – Fully serviced restaurant within the retirement village or café available for at least one meal per day. Serviced Apartment – Usually one or two bedroom accommodation in a retirement village providing residents with some domestic and ‘hotel’ like services on a fee for service basis.

Small Pets Welcome – Residents are able to a bring small, non-intrusive pet to live with them in the apartment, unit or villa in a retirement community.

Social &/or Recreational support – The client participates in social or recreational activities either in their home or at a community, day or recreational centre.

Strata Titled – This allows for individual ownership of part of a property (called a ‘lot’ and generally an apartment or townhouse), combined with shared ownership in the remainder (called ‘Common Property’ ie foyers, driveways, gardens).

Superannuation – A compulsory retirement savings account that can only be used to fund an individual during retirement.

Supported Living – Supported living communities offer accommodation and care to residents on a fee for service basis, often up to high level care needs.

Swimming Pool – A permanent swimming pool available for water activities, classes and casual swimming.

Transport – Organising or providing transport services such as bus, taxi, private car etc. to activities away from the village.

Village Bus – Bus at the retirement village available to take residents to specific locations regularly.

Village Centre – A dedicated building or large room where residents can congregate, meet and have functions.

Web ID – The unique number allocated to a retirement village or home care service by DPS. Use this number to find additional details about the village on YourRetirementLiving.com.au or home care service on AgedCareGuide.com.au/home-care.