Five ways to get ready for your Home Care Package

It's no secret most older Australians would prefer to stay at home, rather than go into residential care. After all, most memories are made in the home.

In 2020, there was an estimated 3.9 million older Australians (aged 65 or over), with 95.3 per cent living in households, and 4.6 per cent in aged care accommodation.

From this group, 1.3 million older Australians living at home needed some assistance with everyday activities. And from this, 152,000 received help via a Home Care Package.

However, with our aging population there is increasing demand for Home Care Packages.

In fact, there are around 100,000 people on a waiting list for a Home Care Package to be allocated.

Something many older Australians may not be aware of is that there is often a waiting list for 12-18 months before Home Care Package funding becomes available.

And the more complex care and level of support required, the longer the wait time.

At Claro, we recommend planning ahead as much as possible, It's important to have access to the funding you need to help maintain quality of life. We have seen a lot of older Australians and their carers delay applying for a Home Care Assessment until they are at a crisis point.

Here are five simple steps you can take to get ready for your Home Care Package:

1. It's better to be safe than sorry when it comes to approval. We recommend you apply for a Home Care Assessment at least 12 months prior to when you think you will need additional support.
2. Once you have been assessed as being eligible for a Home Care Package, you can choose a service provider that is right for you. Make sure to shop around and look at a few options, and meet with their people to find out more. Don't forget, Claro also offers a full range of everyday and comprehensive supports and services in the home to enable you to live more independently.
3. You may also need to contribute to the cost of your Home Care Package if you can afford it. To get an estimate of the fees you may be asked to pay, please used the My Aged Care home care fee estimator.
4. Your Home Care Package will also incur admin and case management fees – make sure to compare the fees providers charge. Providers and their pricing are available on myagedcare.gov.au. You can also ask to see if have the choice to take on some of the administration yourself, to reduce the amount of fees you pay.
5. Finally, don't forget – we're always here to help at Claro. Please Talk to Us if you would to discuss any of these steps or need some support and information with Home Care Packages.