Dementia and Cognition Supplement

How do I know if my loved one is eligible for the dementia supplement?

Whether your loved one has a diagnosis of dementia or not has no bearing on eligibility for this supplement.

This supplement considers cognitive impairment as eligibility, which covers dementia, but may also be the result of damage to the brain from a stroke, an acquired brain injury or other health condition.

Eligibility is determined by a registered nurse using one of the Department of Health and Aged Care's prescribed screening tools and completing a set of questions with either the older person or their loved one or carer.

If your loved one's package provider has a registered nurse in the team, they should be able to complete this.

But we find that many providers don't have a Registered Nurse, so people who are eligible for this additional funding don't ever receive it because they haven't been screened for it. Or the provider will tell the carer to take their loved one to the GP (doctor) and ask them to complete the PAS.

What's the PAS? It's one of the screening tools prescribed by the Department of Health and Aged Care. Many GPs don't know what the PAS is and don't understand how it neds to be used to demonstrate eligibility for this supplement. People who are eligible for this additional funding miss out because the screening and application process doesn't happen as it should.

We offer a video consultation to screen for eligibility with your older loved one, or you, if they cannot participate.

The application will be completed and signed by the registered nurse and forwarded to both the client and the home care provider (if the provider details are supplied). The provider will then lodge the completed application with Services Australia.

We offer this service to people who self-manage their Home Care Package or are with a fully managed provider.

This service is $297 and is a valid care expenses from your Home Care Package funding. At the time we're screening for the supplement, we're also asking you about your loved one's needs and seeing if they need anything else included in their care plan or if they would be eligible for an upgrade of their Home Care Package.

What is the daily subsidy for the supplement?

As at July 2023 the daily subsidy for someone on a level 1 Home Care Package (HCP) is $3.24.

The daily subsidy for a level 2  package is $5.69, a level 3 HCP is $12.39 and a level 4 HCP is $18.78.