Aged care is more than nursing home accommodation. In-home programs offer support and service to keep you well and able at home for as long as possible.
What comes to mind when someone says aged care? In my experience people automatically think of residential accommodation, otherwise known as a nursing home or care home.
But there are programs specifically funded to keep older people well and able, so they can remain at home for as long as possible.
Knowing how Australia's aged care system works and the programs available to people who are still at home allows older people and their families to consider their options and plan for the time that moving into residential accommodation is the most appropriate or final option.
In the meantime, these in-home programs can support a person to regain their function and wellbeing and get the support they need to enhance their independence.
Let's take a look at all the options available within Australia's aged care system.
The Commonwealth Home Support Programme is the entry level funded tier of in-home support. Designed to assist people who are still relatively able, this program provides assistance with transport, meals, domestic assistance, yard and home maintenance. It also offers access to some clinician support, such as nursing and allied health (basic podiatry, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech pathology and dieticians). If approved, people can also access respite that is not in residential accommodation, such a centre based or cottage respite. Respite in residential accommodation is funded separately to the Commonwealth Home Support Programme.
The Home Care Package program is the next step up from the Commonwealth Home Support Programme. Home care packages can offer the same type of support a person would receive at entry level, but typically the frequency of support is more than at entry level, as is the flexibility to choose what day suits you best. For example, domestic assistance at entry level, under the Commonwealth Home Support Programme is usually provided fortnightly, whereas with a home care package, you could have your cleaning attended weekly. Providers who deliver services under the Commonwealth Home Support Programme have less flexibility to meet your specific requests for certain days and times during the week.
Transition Care and Short-Term Restorative Care are funded under 'flexible care' meaning this bucket of funding is different again to the Commonwealth Home Support Programme and Home Care Package program. These programs are designed to help an older person regain their function by having a team of clinicians attend the person's home. It's like rehab at home.
Flexible care programs are funded well, better than a level 4 home care package and are of shorter duration. Transition Care supports people to transition home after a hospital admission during which they have declined functionally. Transition care provides up to 12 weeks of support. Short-Term Restorative Care is very much like Transition care, but is not associated with a hospital admission. Short-Term Restorative Care is an 8 week program. Both these programs are available to people anywhere in the country, if clinician support can be sourced in a particular area. Transition care can support people discharging from the public hospital system or the private hospitals.
And then there's residential aged care.
Residential aged care, residential accommodation, nursing home or care home are the terms people use to refer to the accommodation type that people move into when they cannot manage at home any longer.
Residential aged care is usually a permanent arrangement. But some older people and some families change their mind and choose to move the older person from the residential accommodation back home, for various reasons.
People can also access respite in a residential aged care for a short-term or temporary basis if needed too. This would be an option if family members are going away for a period of time or if the older person wants to 'try before they buy' before moving into the facility permanently.
With all these options, the way to access any of the in-home programs or residential accommodation, the process is the same. My Aged Care is the gateway to having an older person assessed for what they need.
How does My Aged Care work?
My Aged Care is the government's access point for in-home services and support as well as respite or entry into residential accommodation.
My Aged Care is a call centre and referral point and older people are asked about what their needs are when they call. It's essential the older person and their family are very clear about what the older person needs help with at home, at the time of registering with My Aged Care.
You can take a look at our blog What Is My Aged Care here, to get a good understanding of how preparation and making a referral to My Aged Care works.
Once you've registered yourself with My Aged Care, you'll be assessed by one of the two assessment teams, the Regional Assessment Service or the Aged Care Assessment Team. After you've been assessed, you'll receive referral codes (approved services and support at entry level under the Commonwealth Home Support Programme) or you'll be approved for a home care package.
Services and support at entry level can be in very short supply across the country, so bear in mind, even though you might have this kind of assistance approved, you may not actually receive the support.
When the Aged Care Assessment Team has completed their assessment and approved you for Short-Term Restorative Care and/or a home care package, your approval enters the National Priority System, or queue and you wait until a package becomes available.
The Aged Care Assessment Teams are very busy and prefer to do all the approvals at time of assessment, meaning they'll approve you for in-home support, but they'll want to approve you for the residential accommodation options too. It doesn't mean you have to move into residential accommodation anytime soon, but the approvals are there in case you need them.
When should you contact My Aged Care and get the ball rolling?
It's a common question people ask us. When should I contact My Aged Care or when should I refer mum or dad? My response is that if you're thinking about needing formal support, then this should be the time to make a referral to My Aged Care.
At the time of writing, late August 2024, wait times to be assessed are being quoted from people we speak to, as 6 months. That's a long time to wait just to be assessed for support. Wait times to be assigned a home care package vary from 3-6 months for a lower level package to 9-12 months for the level 3 and 4 home care packages. Again, this is a very long time to wait to receive in-home support and it can mean the difference between being able to stay at home or having to enter into residential accommodation prematurely.
We discuss these topics in our podcast. If you'd like to learn more, check out or podcast here.