Are you over 65 years of age and finding that you require help around the house?
Would you like support in improving your ability to perform activities of daily living, such as carrying the shopping, gardening, or getting up from the ground?
Is maintaining independence at home of great importance to you?
My Aged Care is the entry point for older Australians to access government-funded aged care. Health professionals, such as an Exercise Physiologist play a key role in supporting patients to connect with My Aged Care and access the services they require to maintain independence and quality of life.
Am I eligible for My Aged Care?
In Australia, there are two main streams of home care – the Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP) and Home Care Packages (HCP) program.
Eligibility is based on factors like your health, how you’re coping at home, and any other supports you currently receive. As a person 65 years or older (50 years or older for Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people) you may be eligible for aged care services if you have:
- Noticed a change in what you can do or remember,
- Been diagnosed with a medical condition or reduced mobility,
- Experienced a recent fall or hospital admission.
Four steps to organising support through My Aged Care
My Aged Care was established in 2013 to help enable individuals to remain independent and safe within the environment of their choice, preferably at home. Home care services can be as simple as family and friends helping out, accessing council supports, or as official as receiving Government-subsidised support through the Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP) or Home Care Package from an aged care provider such as Restart.
Step 1. Discover what type of care might suit you
Getting help at home via a HCP can enable you to continue to live independently in your own home for as long as possible. This could mean having help with shopping and cooking, receiving personal care to bath and dress, or having home modifications to improve safety in and around the house. HCPs are most appropriate for those with greater or more complex needs. If you feel you need care and support on an ongoing basis, you could be eligible for a HCP.
Additionally, you may require short-term restorative care (STRC) following a hospital stay, or if your regular carer or support network is unavailable.
If you are at a stage of life where you no longer feel able to live independently at home, even with carer support or home care services, you may consider moving into an aged-care home.
Step 2. Get assessed for aged care services
If you believe one of the three above services may suit your living situation (home care help (HCP), short-term restorative care (STRC) or transitioning into an aged-care home), the next step is to embark on the assessment process.
You can apply for an online assessment by clicking here.
You can also have this conversation with your General Practitioner, and request an Aged Care Assessment Team (ACAT) referral. Providing your age satisfies program criteria (see above) your GP will discuss your eligibility for the program.
Advice is to commence this process as soon as possible, as wait times for funding approval can be significant.
When it comes to having your needs assessed by an ACAT, you may be then approved for one of the following four levels of Home Care Packages:
- Supporting people with basic care needs;
- Supporting people with low level care needs;
- Supporting people with intermediate care needs;
- Supporting people with high level care needs.
Step 3. Finding providers in your area that suit your needs
Following the provision of your HCP and notification of your package specifics (for example type, level and waiting period to access funds), it’s time to find the right support for you and your unique needs.
We recommend spending some time to become clear on what type of services you require based on your needs. This will help you to embark on the process of finding the best support providers for you in an efficient manner. If you are unsure of course, speaking to the professionals at a specified Care Organisation will help you to better understand which providers are best suited to helping you.
Click here to find a provider by location, or by name.
Step 4. Accessing Exercise Physiology Services
At Restart, we have over 12 years-experience working extensively with elderly populations. We intricately understand geriatric conditions and the types of challenges that come with ageing, and the types of interventions required to delay and overcome these challenges.
We also recognise the significant physical and psychosocial benefits of enabling independent, home-based living for as long as safely possible.
Contact Restart
If continuing to live independently is important to you, we highly recommend working with an Exercise Physiologist to maintain and improve your physical capacity. We will liaise directly with your Care Organisation to make the commencement process as smooth as possible. The degree of support you enlist will depend on the specifics of your care package (for example package type, funding amount and your care provider), and whether you prefer in-home (we come to you) or clinic-based (you come to us) support.
Providing you have completed the above steps, enquire today to have Restart Exercise Physiology added to your care and support team. We will answer any further questions you may have on the specifics of what we can do for you; discuss the commencement pathway and what this looks like; and communicate directly with your Care Organisation and Case Manager/s.
Complete the online enquiry form below for a prompt response or contact 1300 899 757 to speak to our friendly reception team.