What is a Home Care Packages (HCP)?
The program helps older community members to stay in their homes and live an independent life for as long as possible. Services are tailored to individual clients’ needs and are available to all pensioners at an affordable cost. The Consumer Directed Care (CDC) approach allows clients to be actively involved in the planning and delivery of their services. Clients will be provided with a personalised budget and an outline of expenditures and funding.
The goal of the HCP Program is to contribute to maintaining and enhancing the security, independence and emotional, social, cultural and intellectual wellbeing of frail older people and their carers, who have been assessed as in need of support.
There are four levels of Home Care Packages which are designed for people with various care needs:
- Level 1 supports people with basic care needs
- Level 2 supports people with low-level care needs (former Community Aged Care Packages)
- Level 3 supports people with complex care needs
- Level 4 supports people with high-level care needs &Dementia ( former EACH)
Who is this program for?
The program is designed primarily for elderly people living in Victoria. By providing proper care, clients of the program can remain living independently in their homes for as long as possible.
Our organisation aims to understand the needs of our clients in order to provide them with services customised to their individual expectations while respecting their culture, religion and personal beliefs. We proudly support people from the Polish community as well as Polish descendants.
How to access the program
The client must be assessed by the Aged Care Assessment Team (ACAT) to get help at home. ACAT helps older people and their carers decide what type of care best suits their needs when they are no longer able to function independently.
An ACAT team member (doctor, nurse, social worker or other health professional) will meet with the client to assess the client’s care needs and determine appropriate services for the client. ACAT provides a letter to the clients informing them of the type of subsidized services, which have been approved. ACAT can also help the clients get in touch with suitable service providers in the client’s area.
An ACAT assessment can be organised by the elderly person themselves by contacting My Aged Care on 1800 200 422. Our staff can also help to organise an ACAT assessment.
For more information about ACAT:
https://www.myagedcare.gov.au/about-us-polish
What is the next step?
Once the client has been assessed by ACAT as being eligible for a Home Care Package, the client may contact the Polish Community Council of Victoria.
If you have been offered a place, the coordinator of the program will establish a care plan tailored to your individual needs. The agreement is signed between the Polish Community Council of Victoria – Home Care Packages (HCPs), and the person receiving services offered by the program.
What services are provided under the program?
The services are based on the individual needs of the client. The Program Coordinator oversees the care and support services in the home, which are agreed between the client and the Case Manager of the program.
These services may include:
- Assistance with meal preparation
- Personal care (assistance with bathing, grooming etc.)
- Basic domestic assistance, home maintenance, window cleaning, gardening (we arrange spring cleaning service upon request)
- Social support
- Help with everyday tasks
- Assistance with medical appointments, banking and shopping
- Respite
- On-call service outside of business hours
How long will it take to help?
The scheme is regularly checked and adapted to the needs of the client. If there is a significant deterioration in the health of the client and help provided by us will not be sufficient, then a meeting is organized with the client to discuss if are there other possibilities for additional care which are adapted to new needs.
What is the cost of these services?
Every person under the HCP Program is charged for the aid they receive. Fees depend on the client’s needs and their financial situation.
If a person takes up a Home Care Package on or after 1 July 2014, service provider may ask them to pay:
- a basic fee of up to 17.5% of the single basic Age Pension,
- an income-tested care fee,
- rates of basic and income tested fees calculated as daily fees for a Home Care Package.
Basic fee
The service provider can ask any Home Care Package recipient to pay the basic fee.
Service Providers may charge the basic fee for a Home Care Package, including those delivered as Consumer Directed Care. Rates of basic fees increase on 20 March and 20 September each year, in line with changes to the Age Pension. This applies to each person receiving a Home Care Package, even if they are a member
Income-tested care fee
Depending on income, home care package consumers may be asked by service provider to contribute more to the cost of their care. This extra amount is known as an ‘income-tested care fee’.
Consumers can only be asked to pay an income-tested care fee if they have a yearly income is above thresholds:
- individual person
- member of a couple but now separated due to illness (individual income)
- member of a couple living together (combined income)
Rated and thresholds are set, reviewed and advertised by the Department of Human Services
The Department of Human Services works out the income-tested care fee based on an assessment of person’s financial information. The assessment does not include the value of person’s home or any other assets.
There are annual and lifetime caps that apply to the income-tested care fee. Once these caps are reached, home care consumer cannot be asked to pay any more income-tested care fees. More information on the income-tested care fee is available on the My Aged Care website: www.myagedcare.gov.au
Fee estimator for Home Care Packages
People considering taking up Home Care Package can use our Home Care Fee Estimator (to help them estimate what costs Home Care Package provider may ask them to pay. The Fees for Home Care Packages and Residential Aged Care for People Entering Care from 1 July 2014 information booklet provides more details on Home Care Package costs.
Available information booklets:
https://www.myagedcare.gov.au/polish
- Broszura informacyjna na temat usług Pakietu Opieki Domowej (Your guide to Home Care Package services)
- Twój przewodnik na temat Wspólnotowego Programu Usług Wsparcia w Domu (Your guide to Commonwealth Home Support Programme services)
- Jak uzyskać dostęp do pakietu opieki domowej? (Your pathway to accessing a Home Care Package)
Link to Home Care Fee Estimator:
https://www.myagedcare.gov.au/fee-estimator
Home Care Fees are charged monthly, one month in advance. Consumers receive monthly invoices for service delivered under their Home Care Package.
People who receive Home Care Package before 1 July 2014
The costs for Home Care Packages changed on 1 July 2014. If consumers started to receive a Home Care Package before 1 July 2014 they will continue to pay the costs under the old fee arrangement.
We Offer:
- Cooperation with each client individually to achieve the best results in the implementation of clients needs,
- Assistance with personal hygiene,
- Engaging clients and their families in planning care services,
- We are committed to quality and we strive to provide an excellent standard,
- We are a friendly and professional organization.
What is Consumer Directed Care (CDC)?
Home Care Packages are delivered on a Consumer Directed Care (CDC) basis. CDC gives clients more choice and control over the types of care and services clients receive, how care is delivered and who delivers it to the client.
Under CDC, clients determine the level of involvement they would like to have in managing their own package. Clients will be provided with a personalised budget so that the client can see how much funding is available for services and how the money is being spent.
Home Care Packages will be provided on a CDC basis from 1 July 2015
Where do we operate?
Our Home Care Packages operate in the following Regions:
- Eastern Metro Regions of Melbourne
- Inner City of Melbourne
- Northern Metro Regions of Melbourne
- Southern Metro Regions of Melbourne
- Western Metro Regions of Melbourne
Useful information and resources
Information about Home Care Packages is available on My Aged Care website: https://www.myagedcare.gov.au/sites/default/files/2019-04/home-care-packages-polish.pdf
More useful information on can be found on Home Care Today national website that aims to support both consumers and home care providers to work together to implement consumer directed care in Home Care Packages. http://www.homecaretoday.org.au/
Referrals and more information:
To find out how to become a client in our HCP program please call us on (03) 9569 4020 and ask to speak to Case Managers.
Our address:
Suite 305, Level 3
3 Chester Street, Oakleigh
Victoria 3166
Acknowledgment
Home Care Packages (HCP) is funded by the Australian Government’s Department of Social Services.