A further 40,000 home care packages, each valued at up to $53,268.10 a year, will be released over the coming months – yet many seniors being cared for at home are unaware they may be eligible.
The coming release will mean that by June 2023, more than 275,000 home care packages will be providing care to seniors so they may remain at home for longer.
Simon Lockyer, CEO of national home care provider Five Good Friends, said a senior who needs help to live independently at home should consider undergoing an assessment and putting in an application for a Commonwealth Government Home Care Package.
To qualify, a person must be 65 years or older (or over 50 years for Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islanders) and the level of home care package is determined by an Australian Government My Aged Care assessment.
“Your GP or health professional can contact My Aged Care on your behalf and arrange an assessment, or you can contact My Aged Care yourself. Alternatively, trusted family, friends and carers are able to arrange an assessment on behalf of a loved one,” said Simon.
Get in quickly
Simon suggests anyone considering accessing home care funding in the near future should have their assessment completed and application lodged sooner rather than later.
“Depending on which service you’re suited to and where you live it can take up to 12 weeks to have your aged care needs assessed. In urgent situations, an assessment can be organised within 48 hours,” he said.
“However, it currently can take up to six months to establish eligibility and which home care package funding is available to you, and we expect these wait times to lengthen as demand grows.”
Ian Henschke, National Seniors Chief Advocate, said the shortage of workers meant there would be no one to do the work required to care for older people at home.
“The Government has to do more and put a bigger emphasis on training and paid traineeships,” Ian said.
“We recommend a national mature age traineeship program to attract quality mature age home care workers.
“Most people over 65 still wish to work about two to three days because of the rising cost of living and are likely to have more empathy if they have had to care for their own parents.”
