Paul McMahon, CEO of Southern Cross Care (NSW & ACT), was on our radio show last Sunday to talk us through the changes to home care funding that kicked in this week.
He explained that there are a whole host of services available, all funded by the Government, from personal care such as showering, dressing and grooming through to help with meals, shopping, cleaning and home maintenance.
Traditionally, these home care packages have been allocated to a provider who then allocate services to you. Now this funding will be assigned directly to you, the consumer.
Consumers in the driver’s seat
“Consumers can find services on agedcare101.com.au and also shop around. They can also ring an organisation like Southern Cross Care and we’d be happy to help or direct people to a service that can assist them,” says Paul.
And remember you don’t need to wait for a crisis – such as a fall or sudden illness – to ask for help.
He encourages anyone who is finding things a little more difficult to do as they age not to wait.
Finding the right help
Anyone over the age of 65 can be assessed for government-subsidised home care services to see if they require care or support at home. There are also private home care services available which don’t have any age limit.
If you’re already receiving home care, it’s now easier to switch providers if you’re not happy with their services.
I remember when our mother moved into a retirement village, we had no idea about the help we could get for her and found it quite hard to find the right person.
These changes ensure that we will always be able to find that help – and choose who provides it.
You can find out more about the changes to home care in our story here or visit our website agedcare101.com.au for more information.
You can hear the podcast of our full interview with Paul here:
