A Home Care Package is a coordinated package of care and services to help you to live independently in your own home for as long as you can.
A Home Care Package is subsidised by the Australian Government and allows you to work with a home care provider to decide the care and services that best meet your needs.
Before you start the assessment process for a package, you might want to consider in more detail what the package funds can be used for – and also what they can’t be used for.
What can Home Care Package funds be used for?
Your Home Care Package funds should be used to purchase care and services that meet your needs as assessed by a member of the Department of Health’s Aged Care Assessment Team. Once you are allocated a package, the types of care and services you can receive, as outlined in the department’s Your guide to Home Care Package services, include:
Personal services
Assistance with personal activities such as bathing, showering, toileting, dressing and undressing, mobility and communication
Nutrition, hydration, meal preparation and diet
Assistance with preparing meals, including special diets for health, religious, cultural or other reasons, assistance with using eating utensils and assistance with feeding
Continence management
Assistance in using continence aids and appliances such as disposable pads and absorbent aids, commode chairs, bedpans and urinals, catheter and urinary drainage appliances, and enemas
Mobility and dexterity
Providing crutches, quadruped walkers, walking frames, walking sticks, mechanical devices for lifting, bed rails, slide sheets, sheepskins, tri-pillows, pressure-relieving mattresses and assistance using these aids
Nursing, allied health and therapy services
For example, this may include speech therapy, podiatry, occupational or physiotherapy services and other clinical services such as hearing and vision services
Transport and personal assistance
Assistance with shopping, visiting health practitioners and attending social activities
Management of skin integrity
Assistance with bandages, dressings and skin emollients.
A Home Care Package may also be used to fund the use of:
Telehealth
Video conferencing and digital technology (including remote monitoring) to increase access to timely and appropriate care
Assistive technology
This covers devices that assist mobility, communication and personal safety
Aids and equipment
Particularly those that assist a person to perform daily living tasks can be purchased using funds from your package budget. Your Home Care Agreement needs to specify whether it is leased or who owns the item and who is responsible for ongoing maintenance and repair costs.