When first looking into getting a Home Care Package (HCP), many of us encounter the term ‘Home Care Package provider’.
But what exactly is this and how is an HCP provider different to a service provider?
If you are also thinking about getting a HCP, understanding these terms will help you decide how you wish to set it up.
Home Care Package provider
When you get a home care package, the money is ‘hosted’ by a HCP provider.
This is an organisation that receives your government subsidy and manages the costs, such as paying invoices for support services on your behalf.
An HCP provider is sometimes called an HCP fund manager.
An HCP provider is required to deliver a service called ‘care management’. This to assess your needs, goals and preferences, among other things, to make sure you receive the support you need.
Most HCP providers are also ‘service providers’.
What is a service provider?
A service provider is an organisation or individual who delivers services. When it comes to aged care, these could include:
- Nursing
- Social support
- Personal care
- Light gardening
- Cleaning
- Minor home modifications
- Allied health services, such as physiotherapy.
Is Mable a service provider?
Mable is not a service provider, but the independent support workers on Mable are.
Likewise, traditional aged care providers with staff who deliver support services are also ‘service providers’.
Mable is an online platform that connects older Australians and people with disability, with independent support workers.
Not all providers are the same
All aged care organisations deliver their services differently and charge different amounts.
Although you may be referred to a local provider, you don’t have to go with them. You can shop around, compare services and costs and ultimately decide for yourself which HCP provider is best for you.
While you might want to choose your own service providers, not all HCP providers allow for this. Some will only suggest their services.
Also, what support services they can offer and when are based on their staffing and availability.
But it doesn’t have to be this way – that’s where self-management comes in.
Is self management for you?
Those who want more choice and control in organising their own support can self-manage their HCP.
By self-managing your HCP, you choose your own support team and schedule. You decide who comes into your home and when.
If you want to do this, you will still require a HCP provider, but there are some, such as HomeMade, which allow you to genuinely self-manage your HCP.
They will consult with you to develop your Support Plan, identifying the services you need to live independently at home, and let you control the day-to-day.
The Mable difference
By self-managing your HCP package you then have the freedom to choose your service providers and build your support team.
For example, you can book support workers in your area using Mable. If you already engage someone for support in your community, you could get them to join Mable as a support worker. This way, you can both benefit from the easy management of support as well as insurances that Mable offers.
By booking and managing support though Mable:
- You decide when and where you receive support
- You choose your own support workers
- You can mutually agree on rates
- Your support sessions booked through the platform are covered by Mable’s insurances to ensure your safety and your worker’s safety.
