Live your best life, at home

In order to receive Government funding towards your home care, you will need to first contact the My Aged Care service to discuss your needs with one of their consultants. Depending on your individual situation, further assessment may either be conducted over the phone or in person in your home. If you are approved for a Home Care Package, a further financial assessment must be undertaken via Centrelink to determine if a means-tested co-contribution will be required. If you would like to receive Home Care services without Government funding, no external assessments are required and BaptistCare is still able to provide the full range of professional, high quality supports under a privately funded arrangement.

Home Care Package funds can only be used on goods and services that are directly connected to enabling someone to continue to live at home safely and maintain their health and wellbeing. Our Care Facilitators work individually with each person to understand their specific goals and care needs, and note these in an individual Care Plan. Providers are responsible to determine the appropriateness of purchases based on a range of criteria including safety, client needs, scope of the HCP program, ACAT assessment, short and long term care goals, available funds, value for money and alternative available resources. Depending on these needs, experts such as Occupational Therapists or GPs may then be involved in determining appropriate equipment, or recommending minor modifications to the home, such as railing, ramps or taps.

Yes, home care packages are fully transferable, including the balance of any unspent funds you may have. If you are with another provider and would like to move to BaptistCare at home, we can arrange this for you, or the My Aged Care website has a step by step guide.

The Government have a strict set of Guidelines about what can and cannot be covered by Home Care Package funds, and it is the responsibility of the Provider to ensure that funds are not misused. Funds can only be used in the specified manner, and cannot be treated as general income for the recipient. Some items that cannot be funded by the Package include:

• Items that would normally be purchased out of general income, such as clothing, shopping and general household goods
• Home Modifications that are not directly related to your care needs
• Items covered by the Medicare Benefits Schedule,
• Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, or other Government funding
• Holidays, club memberships or gambling
• Accommodation or rent
• Food (although funds can be used to cover the labour portion of meals services)

You may initially receive a package at a lower level while you wait for the level you have been assessed for. Generally the wait is around 3-6 months for the initial package, and up to 12 months for the subsequent packages. BaptistCare at home is one of Australia’s largest providers of CHSP services and can thus provide a range of essential funded supports while you wait.