How to get In Home Care: Everything you need to know
If you’re concerned about living safely in your own home as you get older, or feel a loved one would benefit from some help with daily tasks like shopping, cooking or cleaning, you’re not alone.
Research from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare shows that the number of home care recipients has increased by 84% over the last 10 years, and continues to rise.
Government-funded Home Care Packages (HCPs) are in high demand, as older Australians show a preference for remaining in their own homes for longer – and who can blame them?
The familiarity and comfort of your own surroundings, where you may have spent many years of your life, is difficult to leave behind. Especially at a time in your life where uncertainty about your health may be weighing heavily on your mind.
Home care can involve a range of services that help older Australians to remain living independently at home. It is an alternative to entering residential aged care, especially when delivered by aged care experts like IRT.
Customers can buy packages of home care services either with assistance from the government, or pay for home care privately.
Australian Government data shows that around 85,000 older Australians receive help at home, via a Government-subsidised HCPs, reflecting an increasing preference by older Australians to remain in their own homes as they age.
So, how do you begin the search to find the home care option that suits you?
IRT’s home care calculator lets you find the right solution based on your needs, and provides sample packages of our services for varying levels of support.
IRT’s range of home care service categories, include:
Help around the home
Personal care and assistance
Getting out and about
Clinical & dementia care
Social connection
Home safety and security
Health support
First, select whether you’re looking for a service for yourself or a loved one. Then, choose your approved HCP level.
If you haven’t yet been assessed and approved for government funding, you’ll need to arrange one through My Aged Care and join the Government’s National Priority Queue. Wait times vary based on your needs and place in the queue. Alternatively, you can choose to pay for some or all of your services privately prior to receiving your package.
Next, choose a home care services bundle that best addresses your needs. These sample bundles address some of our customer’s most common needs:
Help at home
Providing support around the home with cleaning, cooking and personal care.
Getting out and about
Providing assistance with appointments, shopping and transport.
Staying connected
Providing assistance to keep in touch with friends and family via technology.
Each sample bundle addresses some of our customers’ most common needs, and will be tailored to meet the needs of each individual IRT customer. Within the calculator, each sample bundle’s inclusions and service frequency is based on the selected HCP level.
Finally, you can request a call back from our experienced customer service team and download your personalised quote for later reference.
Whatever your situation, IRT will take a look at your specific set of circumstances, and tailor a solution that’s just right for you. And we keep tailoring that solution over time as your needs change.
So, get started today and find out how IRT can help you continue to live independently for as long as possible. After all, there’s no place like home.
You may also like
Vegetable pesto pasta
This recipe, from IRT Catering Chef Phil Ucles, is perfect for the cooler nights ahead.
Let's talk about . . . wisdom
Who is the wisest person you've known? Our retirement village residents share their thoughts on the question . . .