Your Aged Care at Home

Your Aged Care at Home is a not-for-profit organisation specialising in providing at-home care for the elderly and support to those with a disability. We are a registered charity and registered service provider for the Home Care Packages program and the NDIS, committed to not only giving to our clients but giving back to the community as a whole. It is our mission to enable ongoing independent living and quality of life for our clients through individualised support services and programs. We believe that our community who are aging, disabled and disadvantaged are able to enjoy their independence, dignity and quality of life. Our caring and tight-knit team of care coordinators and support workers are here to support you in every step of your journey in having the right services delivered to you to meet your needs.

We offer a wide variety of services including Home Support (Home Care Packages), Disability Assistance (NDIS), Therapies/Allied Health and Charitable Services. Examples of services provided for aged care home care packages are: Domestic care, gardening, laundry, meal preparation, social support, assistance with transportation, shopping, personal care services such as showering, bed bath, continence care, and toileting. Our care coordinators can also assist you with referrals to occupational therapy, physiotherapy, hydrotherapy, home modifications including assistive technologies and information technologies and personal alarms/sensors/etc, access to social events or community services, equipment and personal aids. We also provide clinical care with wound management, nursing care, dementia care, medications monitoring and medications assistance. Under the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), we offer the following support items: Core Supports: Assistance with Daily Living (1.01) Assistance with self care (regular and high care) Assistance with personal domestic activities House and/or yard maintenance Assistance with preparation and delivery of meals Transport Support (1.02) Assistance in travel to access the community for educational, recreational and vocational activities. Assistance with Social and Community Participation (1.04) Assistance to access community, social, recreational activities (regular and high care) Group based community, social and recreational activities Capacity Building: Increased Social and Community Participation (3.09) Development and training to increase your skills so you can participate in community, social and recreational activities Improved Health and Wellbeing (3.12) Referral to dietician consulting and diet plan development Improved Daily Living Skills (3.15) Individual assessment and support by a registered nurse Continence aids Referral to group therapy and therapy assistance Capital Supports: Assistive Technology (2.05) Assistive equipment for household and everyday tasks Other assistive technologies

My Aged Care is the starting point to access Australian Government-funded aged care services. If you require help at home, you should visit their website for helpful information, or contact them on 1800 200 422. Before you start receiving services from an approved service provider, you need to apply for an assessment with My Aged Care. They will help determine what kind of services are available to you to meet your needs. My Aged Care provides: Information on the different types of aged care services available An assessment of needs to identify eligibility and the right type of care Referrals and support to find service providers that can meet your needs Information on what you might need to pay towards the cost of your care.

There is no right or wrong when it comes to finding care that suits you. Home care allows individuals to keep their independence and dignity, while remaining in the comfort and security of your own home for as long as possible. Receiving care from your home allows you to live your days on your own schedule with the added assistance from us. The benefits of home care include: 1. Familiar surroundings There is no place like home. Familiar surroundings help you and your loved ones stay comfortable, in the comfort of your homes. A change of environment can be stressful and may require time to adjust. Living in a place you are familiar with, or you have spent an amount of time in, keeps you grounded and at ease to go about your day-to-day. 2. Independence Residential aged care has 24/7 round the clock assistance available, but lacks the privacy and independence that some would prefer. Home care creates space for you to have your own time with yourself, friends and family, the way you would like it. 3. Reduces caregiver stress Additional help at home means that this could reduce caregiver stress, but also allows the caregiver to have respite, while also staying close to their loves ones without worrying who is taking care of their loved one, or dealing with visitor restrictions in a residential aged care facility. 4. Keeping things your way Being at home means you could keep things your way, how you want it, where you want it. Decorating your home, tending to your vegetable garden or cooking your favourite meal in the kitchen are some perks of staying at home.

My Aged Care advertises three primary types of care on their website: Help at Home, Short Term Care and Residential Care. The Government recognises two types of care needs for help at home: Entry-level care, also known as the Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP) More complex care, known as the Home Care Packages (HCP) If you are able to manage, but need support with a few tasks, you could be eligible for subsidised support services through the Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP). This program aims to help those who need a low level of support to keep living independently. This is recommended to those who need one or two services. Home Care Packages are for those with greater or more complex care needs. If you need a higher level of care and support services on an ongoing basis, you could be eligible for subsidised support services through a Home Care Package. The level of support you receive is allocated into 4 levels, determined through an assessment by My Aged Care. Your Aged Care at Home provides care and services only under the Home Care Packages. To see if you're eligible, you can get assessed by contacting My Aged Care on 1800 200 422.

A Home Care Package is based on your level of care and support needs. There are four levels with different funding amounts based on your assessment with My Aged Care. The four levels of funding are: Level 1 (Basic Needs) - $9,179.75 Level 2 (Low Care Needs) - $16,147.60 Level 3 (Intermediate Care Needs) - $35,138.55 Level 4 (High Care Needs) - $53,268.10 These funds are paid to the provider of your choice to help you arrange a package of services to help meet your needs.

A Home Care Package is available for people that are over 65 years of age (or over 50 years of age for Aboriginal and Torres Straits Islander people), who require assistance to live at home. To know if you are eligible for a Home Care Package, your needs will need to be assessed by My Aged Care. You can apply for an assessment by contacting them on 1800 200 422. My Aged Care may provide an assessment for subsidised services under the Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP). This is not a Home Care Package, but may offer some interim support as you wait for your Home Care Package to be allocated. If you are not eligible for a Home Care Package, you might be eligible for subsidised entry-level services under the CHSP.

Services are varied and generally catered to support your health and well-being. Home care package funds cannot be used as a general source of income for items such as day-to-day bills, food, mortgage payments or rent, holidays, entertainment and gambling. You can find a full list of exclusions on My Aged Care. Subsidy Inclusions: Personal Services - Bathing, showering & toileting, dressing/undressing, mobility, communication. Nutrition & Hydration - Meal preparation, special diets for health/religious/cultural, assistance using eating utensils & assisting with feeding. Continence Management - Assistance using continence aids, appliances such as absorbent aids, commode chairs, bedpans and urinals, and catheters and enemas. Mobility & Dexterity - Crutches, quadruped walkers, walking sticks, mechanical devices for lifting, bed rails, slide sheets, sheepskin and tri-pillows, pressure relieving mattresses, assistance with using aids. Nursing, Allied Health and Therapy Services - Speech therapy, occupational or physiotherapy, seeing and hearing clinical services. Transport and Personal Assistance - Assistance with shopping visits to health practitioners, attending social activities. Management for Skin Integrity - Assistance with bandages, dressings and skin emollients. Assistive Technology: Mobility, personal safety and communication, aids and Equipment: to assist with daily living tasks. You may also be eligible to receive additional supplements such as oxygen, enteral feeding, dementia or veterans' supplement through your Home Care Package.

For Home Care clients we charge a flat 12% Care Management fee and 15% Package Management fee for all package levels. The Management fees will cover all additional coordination you may require while with us. For more information about care management and package management, click here. Unlike other providers, all personal care and domestic services, including gardening is billed at one rate of $68.50 per hour (Weekday day-time). We also offer clinical management services and wound care from our Registered Nurse which is billed at $87 per hour (Weekday day-time). Additionally: Transport with you will be billed at $1.20 per kilometre travelled. There is no call-out fee for any clients. You also have the option to use a 3rd Party Brokerage/Contracted worker/s of your choice. For more information on our prices, download our price guide here.

Care management is a mandatory service, and your provider must: regularly assess your needs, goals and preferences, review your home care agreement and care plan with you, ensure your care and services align with other supports, partner with you and your family or carers about your care, ensure your care and services are culturally safe, identify and address risks to your safety, health and wellbeing. Package management is a service that supports delivery of a Home Care Package (HCP), and can cover administrative activities that your provider must do, such as: establishing and managing home care budgets, coordinating and scheduling services and workers, preparing invoices and monthly statements, complying with regulatory and assurance activities. Your Aged Care at Home charges: Care Management Fee (per fortnight) Level 1 HCP - $47.28 Level 2 HCP - $83.14 Level 3 HCP - $180.94 Level 4 HCP - $274.29 Package Management Fee (per fortnight) Level 1 HCP - $59.08 Level 2 HCP - $103.88 Level 3 HCP - $226.24 Level 4 HCP - $342.86 For more information or enquiries in regards to these fees, don't hesitate to contact us on (02) 8764 3669 or email us at info@youragedcare.org

Service provision is completely dependent on what services you require out of the home care package, the level of your assigned home care package, as well as how you choose to manage your care needs. On average, the total hours of service provided per week are: Level 1 (Basic Needs) - 2-3 hours Level 2 (Low Care Needs) - 4-5 hours Level 3 (Intermediate Care Needs) - 9-10 hours Level 4 (High Care Needs) - 14-15 hours

When you get allocated a Home Care Package, you may have to contribute a Basic Daily Fee to your provider, depending on which provider you choose. At Your Aged Care at Home, we do not charge you a Basic Daily Fee. The Home Care Package is also income tested. A single person with an income above $29,234.40 may pay up to $16.15 per day. A single person with an income above $56,295.20 may need to pay up to $32.30 per day. The fees you pay do have annual caps, and the maximum lifetime cap is $70,558.66*. If you are a full pensioner or have an income up to $29,234.40, you won’t have to pay an income tested care fee. *As of 1 July 2022

The government subsidy that you receive does not cover: Items that would normally be purchased out of general income Buying food, except as part of enteral feeding requirements Payment for permanent accommodation, including assistance with home purchase, mortgage payments or rent Payment of home care fees Payment of fees or charges for other types of care funded or jointly funded by the Australian Government Home modifications or assets that are not related to your care needs Travel and accommodation for holidays Cost of entertainment activities, such as club memberships and tickets to sporting events Gambling activities Payment for services and items covered by the Medicare Benefits Schedule or the -Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme For more information, visit My Aged Care.

No, general purchases are not subsidised by the Home Care Package. You may be able to ask your provider if they can purchase essential items such as, continence products or wound care dressings, but purchases should relate to the improvement of your health and well-being.

If you are having trouble with everyday tasks and feel that a little support could improve your health and wellbeing, CHSP could be right for you. To be eligible for this program, you must be aged: 65 years or older (50 years or older for Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people), or 50 years or older (45 years or older for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people) and on a low income, homeless, or at risk of being homeless. CHSP will provide successful applicants with individual codes that can be used with an approved CHSP provider and will also be expected to contribute to the cost of services. Home Care Packages (HCP) are one of the ways that older Australians can access affordable care services to receive help at home. They are designed for those with more complex care needs that go beyond what the Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP) can provide. Home Care Packages cater to those who require a coordinated approach to the delivery of your help at home, whether it is because you need help with many everyday tasks, or the care you need is more complex or intensive. Each package level has an annual amount of subsidy that will be provided to your nominated Home Care Provider. These amounts are: Level 1 - $9,179.75 Level 2 - $16,147.60 Level 3 - $35,138.55 Level 4 - $53,268.10

Some providers may ask you to pay a Basic Daily Fee. As at March 2022, the Maximum Daily Fees are: Level 1 (Basic Needs) - $10.08 Level 2 (Low Care Needs) - $10.66 Level 3 (Intermediate Care Needs) - $10.97 Level 4 (High Care Needs) - $11.26 The government has determined a maximum Daily Fee that providers may ask for you to contribute to your Home Care Package. This is not mandatory, and many providers will not ask you for this contribution. If you do contribute this fee to your package, your package will receive additional hours in services. Your Aged Care at Home do not require you to charge you a Basic Daily Fee.

Every provider will have variations in pricing. If a provider has very low package and care management fees, they may have higher hourly rates or other additional fees. It is worth spending some time comparing pricing categories in detail. Providers should have a comprehensive pricing schedule on their website. Each provider has their own unique qualities of service, and the number of direct support hours will not be the same across all providers. You can explore and compare a range of providers in your local by visiting My Aged Care - Find A Provider.

This may depend on the hours of care that you require per week. We always try to ensure you receive the same support workers to increase familiarity and comfortability of our clients, however if you require higher hours we may have to provide you with two support workers. If there is an off occasion where we may have to send out a different worker we ensure to get in contact beforehand.

Yes, we are always willing to alter your package to ensure it suits you. Under the Aged Care Quality standards, aged care providers must ensure that all services provided to you are in full consultation and agreement with you, the care recipient. You can speak with our care coordinators in regards to your needs and reviews are complimentary under our Care Management fee.

As a result of the COVID pandemic, we have taken further precautions to ensure the health and safety of both our clients and staff. All our support workers are fully vaccinated and to wear personal protective equipment (PPE), including face mask and gloves at all times, when in a clients home. All our support workers have also completed the government COVID-safe training and are fully trained in aged care. All team members are supplied with their own PPE supplies (gloves, masks, hand sanitisers, aprons, etc) and are required to social distance at all times. We have regular training and meetings with our staff members to ensure that we uphold standards of cleanliness in all circumstances.

We offer services to all areas in the Sydney Metropolitan area. If you live in Greater Sydney, please get in contact as we may still be able to accommodate to you.

We will always do our best to accommodate to you. If you require your support worker to speak a particular language please don't hesitate to contact us, as we can arrange support workers that could speak the language you prefer.

The Aged Care Quality Standards are in place to uphold your rights as care recipient. You have the following rights: I am treated with dignity and respect, and can maintain my identity. I can make informed choices about my care and services, and live the life I choose. I am a partner in ongoing assessment and planning that helps me get the care and services I need for my health and well-being. I get personal care, clinical care, or both personal care and clinical care, that is safe and right for me. I get the services and supports for daily living that are important for my health and well-being and that enable me to do the things I want to do. I feel I belong and I am safe and comfortable in the organisations' service environment. I feel safe and am encouraged and supported to give feedback and complaints, and appropriate action is taken. I get quality care and services when I need them from the people who are knowledgeable, capable and caring. I am confident the organisation is well run. I can partner in improving the delivery of care and services. If an aged care provider does not meet the Standards: The provider must revise their plan for continuous improvement. The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission will monitor the provider, and/or the Department of Health may give them a notice of non-compliance, or sanction. You can check if a service provider has compliance actions against them using the My Aged Care non-compliance checker.

You are protected under the Aged Care Quality Standards. Your rights and choices need to be respected, and you should be able to work with your provider to partner in creating an appropriate service for your health and well­-being. You also have the right to feel safe and are encouraged to give feedback and make complaints. Complaints can be made directly to your provider or to the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission. If you are not happy with your existing provider, you have the right to change providers. My Aged Care explains this process in more detail.

If you wish to change providers, simply contact a new provider and discuss with them your needs. You will then contact My Aged Care and request a referral code reactivation. The new referral code is then given to your new provider. Inform your current provider that you wish to change providers. Keep in mind that your existing provider may require you to give them a 2-4 week notice before you can start receiving services from the new provider. If you wish to switch providers with us, simply submit an enquiry form on this chat or through our Contact Us page. Alternatively, you can call us on (02) 8764 3669 during business hours and we are delighted to assist you with your questions and needs.

We are always looking for amazing additions to the our team. Feel free to contact us directly 02 8764 3669 or send your resume and details to info@youragedcare.org We look forward to hearing from you!

Contact our team on 02 8764 3669 or info@youragedcare.org to talk to one of our friendly team members.