Reformation on the Horizon for Home Aged Care

We’ve always advocated for positive changes and improvements to the aged care industry, which is why we’ll be fully prepared and ready to guide you through the introduction of a new, streamlined Support at Home Program which will come into effect in July 2023.

The new Support at Home Program reflects a huge shift in focus within aged care, where staying at home for as long as possible a is a top priority for senior Australians.

Read the full Support at Home Overview on our Resources page.

This new Program delivers a much-needed reformation within the home care space and Well Placed Care is ready to support and guide our clients through this transition.

For your convenience, we’ve extracted some of the key changes from this Program Overview that will change how home care is approached and will be implemented.

Read on to find out what these are…

“In home aged care currently consists of several programs which have different approaches to assessment, eligibility, service providers, funding and fees. The system can lead to inequitable outcomes for senior Australians, as people with the same needs receive different supports, and not enough funding is spent on direct care. As a result, the system is complicated and can be confusing for senior Australians and their families.”

SUPPORT AT HOME PROGRAM OVERVIEW

For many people, their care scenario isn’t a ‘this’ or ‘that’ situation. It’s unique to their individual circumstances and often a complex scenario, requiring multiple care options and services in order to meet their care needs. As a result, you’re jumping through multiple hoops in order to access the right services to fulfil your individual care plan.

The new Program will reform all aspects of the delivery of in-home aged care and stop this stressful and confusing process by introducing some key changes:

• A New Assessment Tool (Integrated Assessment Tool) – A suite of assessment instruments will be combined to cover several domains that identify a person’s aged care needs. These include: General and personal health, functional decline, cognition & behaviour, psychological condition, community engagement & support, medical conditions, home & personal safety, and carer support. Recognising that not all people need intensive assessments, the new tool will have four levels of assessment. Each level of assessment will build on the previous, using trigger points to guide assessors to the most appropriate assessment level for each person.
• Better service recommendations – Following assessment, you would then receive an Individualised Support Plan. The Plan would outline the service types the you are eligible for and the frequency & duration in which you should receive them. You and the assessor would work together to adjust the service mix within the Individualised Support Plan, to ensure that it best reflects your support needs, individual circumstances and personal preferences, within the bounds of your assessed class.

See a more detailed outline of these changes in the Support at Home Overview.

You’ll experience more clarity and efficiency.

We’re happy to report that this new program will provide greater clarity and efficient outcomes for our clients.

Some notable tools to facilitate this will include:

• The introduction of a Service List – Types of services offered will be grouped on the Service List into Service Categories. Categories would be composed of alike services, which would give people similar outcomes.
• You will be able to swap services without fuss – To ensure that you can have your support preferences reflected in your aged care services, people would be able to swap services they have been approved for and that are within the same service category. This will also enable providers to adjust a person’s support plan if they have minor changes in their aged care needs.

Find out more about how these categories work in in the Support at Home Overview.

A focus on independence and person-centred care.

Our whole ethos at Well Placed Care is to approach our client’s aged care needs with a holistic, person-centred focus that is tailored to their individual and unique care scenario.

When the Final Report from the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety was released last year, we hoped that this would prompt a conscious shift away from solely focusing on an individual’s physical abilities and instead provide the much-needed infrastructure to support person-centred care. This in turn will give us even more resources, tools and support to find the perfect aged care solution for our clients as they embark on life’s next adventure.

It looks like the new Program will be focussing on just this, with greater development and refinement around GEAT (Goods, equipment, and assistive technologies) and home modifications for senior Australians to access and install in their own homes. Currently, senior Australians receiving an HCP (Home Care Packages) may access any GEAT or home modifications as required using package funds, but must first ‘save’ enough subsidy funding to make the purchase. This new Program will change this approach by getting the assessor to determine if the person has a need for low-level, mid-level, or high-level GEAT or home modifications. Senior Australians would have access to the support they are assessed as needing for both GEAT and home modifications without needing to save funds. 

This is your sign to start your aged care journey at home now!

We stand by our tried and tested testimony that preparation is key to a successful outcome in your aged care journey! This means that we absolutely encourage you to start your aged care journey now if you’ve been thinking about it. The earlier you engage in our services, the more support we can provide. 

Don’t wait until next year for the rollout of this exciting new Program.

Planning, coordinating and tailoring the right care plan to your individual care needs at home takes time. It’s highly likely that by the time you’re ready to start your in-home care plan, the Program may well be under way.

For one flat fee our services include comprehensive support and consultancy in the home care space, leaving you feel prepared, informed and empowered. This can look like:

• Understanding the terminology – using the correct terminology and knowing what to ask for is key, minimising stress and uncertainty during the approval process.
• Having a plan – we’ll help to facilitate discussions around the needs and priorities of your loved one and family, including time frame, types of care, pricing, the desired location of care, available activities, additional services, and any need for specialty or dementia care. With us by your side, you can determine which level will best work for you under the new assessment tool.
• Discussing your needs – have an in-depth discussion about the precise reasons you or your loved one/s require additional care. This includes a care plan for the interim.
• Documenting everything – write down your expectations for care. This will help ensure nothing is missed over the course of applications, the assessment and interviews.
• Navigating the new Program – you will hit the ground running with us by your side! We’ll be across the new changes and developments within the home care space, help you help you navigate this system easily, and assist you with all your needs in this new streamlined system.

Whether you’re searching for the right service to future-proof against your specific circumstances or require an immediate care solution, we’ll be able to offer information that is informed, current, accurate and suited to your specific care needs.

Seeking out aged care consultancy and advocacy services such as Well Placed Care is an incredible act of love for your loved ones. It’s a proactive approach to find quality care that will suit the needs of your loved ones, keeps the whole family informed as you navigate the aged care system and means you can stay focused on each other by letting us take care of all the necessary details.

Don’t navigate the aged care system alone & contact us today:

Ph – 0419 327 294

Email – pauline@wellplacedcare.com.au