If you’re looking to remain in your own home while accessing in-home aged care support, a Home Care Package might be your best option. There are four home care package levels available depending on the level of care the person needs:
- Home Care Package Level 1
- Home Care Package Level 2
- Home Care Package Level 3
- Home Care Package Level 4.
In this article, we will explain the differences between them.
What is a Home Care Package?
A home care package is a government-subsidised package of care and support services that helps older Australians receive aged care and support in their own homes, and can be particularly beneficial for those with more complex care needs.
Find out more about home care packages, the services you can receive through it, and how to access a Home Care Package.
What are the different home care package levels?
There are home care package levels that Australians can access. Each level comes with a different amount of funding. Depending on the level of care the person needs — ranging from basic care needs (Level 1) to high care needs (Level 4) — the Aged Care Assessment Team (ACAT) will assess and decide the level that is appropriate for the person. Find out more about preparing for an ACAT assessment, to make sure your support needs are met.
- Home care package Level 1 – basic care needs
- Home care package Level 2 – low care needs
- Home care package Level 3 – intermediate care needs
- Home care package Level 4 – high care needs
Once you’ve been deemed eligible for a Home Care Package and the ACAT team has decided which home care package level suits you best, the next step is to choose a provider to identify your care needs and decide how you can use your home care package funding to best support you.
Your service provider coordinates and can provide care management of services. Alternatively, you can self-manage your Home Care Package through Mable to have complete control over who you select to provide support, at your chosen time and rates, and get more hours of care out of your funding. Before the policy of Consumer Directed Care was fully introduced in 2017, participants had to stick with their aged care provider with sometimes limited choices.
With consumer directed care, home care package funding was allocated to the person rather than to the aged care provider. This meant that participants could choose their own service providers and health professionals, potentially save on administration fees and decide – through platforms like Mable – who would support them, when and at what rates. Learn more about Consumer Directed Care.
What can home care package funds be used for?
You can purchase many different support services with your Home Care Package, including:
- Personal care services: this includes assistance with personal activities such as showering, toileting, manual handling, shaving and other hygiene-related care, as well as mobility and communication support
- In-home support: this includes social support and domestic assistance including companionship, shopping, laundry, meal preparation and support to maintain a clean home environment
- Support for continence management: this includes assistance using continence aids or disposable pads, support accessing dementia advisory services and support, as well as hearing and vision loss advisory services
- Transport support: this includes assistance for shopping, attending personal appointments and travel to social activities
- Mobility: this includes costs for crutches and mobility aids such as walking frames, walking sticks and mechanical devices
- Nursing care, allied health and therapy services: this might include occupational therapy, psychology support, podiatry or physiotherapy.
Learn more about self-managing your Home Care Package, and start booking independent support workers on Mable to get the most out of your funding.
FAQs
What does a Home Care Package cost?
You might have to contribute to the cost of your care. Your contribution is made up of three types of fees:
- Basic daily fee
Your provider may ask you to pay a basic daily fee based on your Home Care Package level.
- Income-tested care fee
Some people may also have to pay an income-tested care fee. Whether you pay it, and how much of it you pay, is determined through a formal income assessment from the Services Australia. If you have to pay this fee, there are annual and lifetime limits on how much you can be asked to pay.
- Additional fees
Any other amount you have agreed to pay for extra care and services that wouldn’t otherwise be covered by your Home Care Package.
Find out more about Home Care Package fees and charges.
How do I apply for a Home Care Package?
If you haven’t already applied or begun receiving a Home Care Package, you can do so by accessing the MyAgedCare site. From the My Aged Care site, you can organise to be assessed by the Aged Care Assessment Team (ACAT) who will determine which level of home care package you may need.
What am I entitled to once I get my Home Care Package?
Having a home care package means you have greater control over how you live and what support you access. With a package, you’re entitled to have the freedom to choose a provider that can help you achieve your support goals. You’re also able to actively manage your package, receive monthly statements from the government about your subsidies, receive formal reassessments by ACAT and work directly with your support provider to create support plans tailored to your needs.
