What is Self- Management?
Self-managing your home care package is a different approach to home care. Its about having an active role in deciding the support you would like receive to stay living independently at home. By self-managing and using Mable, you decide the support workers who come to your home , what services they provide , what days and hours they support you and how much you pay.
Is Self- Management Right for Me?
Home care for many, is associated with handing over decision-making control to traditional home care package providers (HCPP), who determine your support needs and who comes into your home, when and how much you pay for services.
The concept of self-managing your home care package is based on the recognition that you have been looking after yourself and others for most of your life, and that you, or the family members that support you, are still best placed to continue to control decisions about your health and well-being.
Self-Management is designed for older Australians who value and want to maintain their independence and quality of life through staying in control of their own care and support needs as they age.
What are the benefits of self- managing my home care package?
There are many benefits and rewards in self-managing your home care package. Recent research described self management as “much better”, “much easier” and “less stressful” – compared to a provider-managed home care package.
Participants described self management as giving them genuine choice and control about who worked in their home, when they worked, what they did and how much they were paid. They said it had improved their quality of life primarily because they felt empowered
Self-managing not only gives you more control over the services you need, but it usually costs significantly less than managing your package through traditional home care package provider
This is important because it frees up more funding for you to spend on your services. Self-managing with Mable could result in more hours of support you could get from managing your package through a traditional HCPP.
Is self -managing my home care package difficult?
Just because you choose to self-manage, doesn’t mean you are left to your own devices. Your home care package provider will still work with you to build your care plan with you and optimise your package funds based on your unique goals.
Your care manager should stay involved throughout your entire journey to ensure you get the care management and support you need to self-manage your home care package to help maintain your quality of life and remain at home, independent and in control, for as long as possible.
Some older Australians coordinate their support services themselves. Others rely on the help of loved ones. The main tool you need for self-managing your HCP is access to the Internet and a Mable account. If you are comfortable with the internet or have someone who can do this for you, then self-managing with Mable is incredibly easy, and rewarding and represent much better value.
What are the advantages of self-managing?
In choosing to self-manage, you’re choosing:
Freedom – to choose, plan, and tailor your support:
- You chose your provider
- You choose and manage your own workers
- You choose when you are supported and what type of services you need
Consistency
- Have the same workers who come regularly. They know you and your routine
- Stay in direct contact with your support team so that you can continue to live flexibly
Value – maximise your HCP
- Lower fees free up more funding for you to spend on your services and could result in more hours of support from your home care package
- Simple, transparent pricing, no hidden or unnecessary fees
- No locked in staff pool from a traditional home care provider pool at inflated rates
- Control over how you spend your funds with real time online visibility of your account