Just think about it. Every day right across Australia people are entering our homes to provide support and care services to our elderly and frail. It’s called home care.
It may be cleaning support, shopping support, showering or nursing. This must be one of the most trusting arrangements in our community.
These workers have full access to our homes, often give physical assistance including dressing and undressing as well as toileting. And they come and they go more often without contact with other members of the family.
Putting trust in your carers
This is an amazing trust – not only security but also the care that is provided – that it is provided well.
And this is the second surprise. The care is provided well. The just released Aged Care Complaints Commission report covering January to June this year tells us just 407 complaints were made out of the tens of thousands of home care visits made every day.
What this tells us is that the current system works. The government proved providers are successfully selecting, training and overseeing the right home care people.
Commencing February next year the Federal Government is opening up the home care market, introducing greater competition by approving new service providers, many of whom will be far smaller than at present. Recruiting, training and managing staff to the same level could be economically challenging.
Our advice: don’t only check the price of the home care service you are engaging, check its ‘trust’ factor as well.
