Home Care Advice
At Geras Partners we help families understand the way forward with government sponsored home care support. We specialise in providing a prompt assessment of the current home care possibilities for individual and couples in terms of process and fees and present to the family a roadmap as to the next steps. In addition, we will complete the required Calculation of Cost of Home Care forms (SA456) that are usually applicable for self-funded retirees or pensioners that are not means tested.
Home Care Process
Eligibility:
If you are an Australian Citizen and are over 65 you can apply for a home care package if you meet any of the above listed general conditions. It is best to start early as the allocation of the limited supply of Home Care places can take up to 12 months from the application date.
It is also important that non-pensioner understand that only the basic daily fees, applicable for all Australians, will apply up to a level of approximately 1.3 million in assets in addition to the family home. Home Care is therefore a government sponsored services for all Australians not just those receiving an aged pension.
Most people prefer to stay in their homes for as long as possible given their health and mobility. It is also the Australian government’s policy to keep single individuals and couples in their home for as long as possible and this accounts for both the Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP) and Home Care systems and other short-term aged care assistance that is provided by state governments and hospitals.
Home Care is available to provide personal care, nursing support, home cleaning & maintenance & shopping visits amongst other activities. In general you will be eligible for Home Care if you:
- Notice a change in what you can do or remember as far as managing your home is concerned
- Are diagnosed with a medical condition that impedes mobility, ongoing physical health or memory loss. For example you may no longer be able to manage money or pay bills
- Experienced a major change in important family care arrangements so that your day-to-day activities are difficult to manage
- Have been to hospital due to certain age related conditions such as a fall at home, difficulty in walking, problems with dressing, hardship in making meals etc
Home Care Question & Answer
