As someone ages, they may require more assistance to perform their daily routines. However, getting assistance from someone else may blur the boundaries in their personal space and also limit their freedom. That’s why many seniors still doubt getting elderly care.
This blog is created to help you put your concerns to rest. Nowadays, home care can be personalised depending on the kind of services you require. So, you will have dominant power in making decisions over the type of elderly care for your loved ones. Yet, you should get through the home care assessment to be eligible to receive home care services. Here are several things you should be prepared for.
How to Sign Up for the Program?
First of all, the applicant should contact the Australian government’s elderly care services centre called My Aged Care at 1800 200 422. A helpful agent will respond with multiple questions to identify what kind of assistance is required.
If what you require is a minimum support, you will probably be directed to regional screening, and then you will be put in touch with the Commonwealth Home Support Program for initial assistance.
If your care demands are more complicated, where you require continuous treatment, you are more likely to be eligible to receive a home care package. In this situation, you will be connected with the Aged Care Assessment Team (ACAT) to proceed with a more extensive evaluation.
What Is the ACAT Assessment?
This test involves an in-person meeting to analyse the scope of home care services that are suitable for the senior. From the evaluation, you might be considered for obtaining a variety of care programs that enable you to keep staying in your own house. Alternatively, the result might clarify specific senior treatment such as respite care, transition care, and many more that can be ideal for the elderly’s condition.
The applicant is allowed to be accompanied by their close one or carer, when the social service representatives visit for this evaluation process. You can also request a translation if needed.
You don’t have to stress about this procedure, because all you need to do is just respond to their inquiries. Basically, the questions will revolve around your everyday routines and lifestyle, and your medical history. For the latter one, they might seek your approval to speak with your doctor for more details. In addition, they will talk to you about all the possible scenarios, including the procedures that you need to carry out to receive elderly care at your place. They will also decide the ideal range of services for you.
What to Expect Once Your Home Care Application Is Approved
If your application is granted, you will gain an approval letter from My Aged Care that describes the kind of services you will receive. You can also expect a copy of the treatment plan as per the last discussion with the ACAT representative during the evaluation, along with the explanation why the decision was made.
However, you might need to wait longer than expected for receiving the funds for the elderly care, because of the long enrollment list. Your level of care might determine how long it takes, from three to twelve months. You can check with My Aged Care by phone to discover how long you should anticipate for your turn.
The less the scope of the treatment, the shorter the time you should wait for getting the care. In this case, you are allowed to submit a request for an interim program, which is an elderly care bundle that is at a lesser level than the package you have been granted.
Furthermore, be aware that you can also request an update on your assessment if the demands of the elderly care shift due to changes in your medical condition. In this case, the ACAT staff will come back to you to review the test and make any necessary corrections, so you can profit from a greater level of financial support.
What to Do Once Your Senior Care Package Is Assigned
A further notification will come to your email after the senior care package has been officially assigned to you. This letter will include a special referral number that you can use to proceed with the financial support to receive the treatments you require.
Afterwards, you are allowed to decide whether to handle the arrangement on your own or hire a home care provider that will assign an experienced caregiver from their business.
If you are confident in managing this program alone, you can gain several advantages as follows.
1. Freedom to choose the type of care and the time preference to begin the treatment.
2. You can independently recruit a caring assistant for your elderly loved ones. You can gain a deeper knowledge about their character and expertise, and judge if their specifications match your seniors’ needs. It will give you more peace of mind if you know well who will take care of your elderly loved ones.
3. You can customise the program according to the senior’s lifestyle and medical condition. You can adjust them to meet your standards and achieve your targets.
4. You can get lower hourly rates for getting services twice as many hours, because you create your own arrangement of the elderly care and negotiate it directly with the workers you hire.
Conclusion
A home care assessment is not just formalities. Instead, it is the first and foremost step of delivering thorough and individualised care for the elderly who need help at home. This evaluation is carefully developed to analyse the applicant’s practical, psychological, and health requirements in their own residence to improve their safety and standard of living.
The elderly’s close ones also play a significant role in understanding the function of this assessment and remain updated with the whole stage of the process, so the most suitable treatments are given to the seniors.
Do not hesitate to get in touch with a reliable home care provider near you to learn more about the variety of services that are available to cater to the elderly’s needs.