This week we’ve been following the story of an Adelaide-based home care provider that has lost its approved provider status for six months after the Department of Health found significant risks to the health and wellbeing of its care recipients.
They have now had an administrator appointed and all of its clients have been placed with alternative providers, but it is a reminder that consumers and their families do need to do their research when it comes to finding the right provider.
So, what should you ask then?
Firstly, ask about whether the provider uses their own staff or outsources to an agency, and their level of training. Are they trained nurses or personal care workers?
Also check how often support workers visit clients and review their care plans. Will it be the same person providing support or will it be a range of workers?
High administration fees under scrutiny
It’s also important to find out the case management fees. The Government is currently weighing up a cap on the administration fees charged by providers as these can vary widely from around 15 to up to 45 per cent – which can make a big difference to the services you can afford.
Ask about the hourly rates for different services such as personal care, home maintenance and doctors’ visits too, and for a copy of a monthly statement so you can see how easy it is to understand.
If you do have concerns about the care of someone you know – whether in aged care or home care – you can contact the Aged Care Complaints Commissioner on 1800 550 552 or online here.
Home care consumers to have their say
There is some good news. Providers who offer services under the Government’s Home Care Packages Programme and the Commonwealth Home Support Programme do undergo the same regular site visits and reviews as aged care – which is how the South Australian provider was identified.
The Australian Aged Care Quality Agency (AACQA) has also recently wrapped a pilot program to expand its Consumer Experience Reports to home care after launching them for aged care in June last year.
These will be introduced soon to ensure consumers can have their say on the services they receive and potential clients and their families will be able to see how others rate their services – very important.
You can find out more about home care packages and search for providers on agedcare101 here.
