Understanding Home Care Packages

Name: Villa Maria Catholic Homes
Address: 486 Albert Street, East Melbourne, VIC, 3002, Australia
Telephone: +1300 698 624
Price range: Contact Us

13 January 2022

13 Jan 2022

Let’s face it, we all want to stay at home for as long as possible as we get older.

Home Care Packages and the Commonwealth Home Support Programme help you to stay living at home, independently and connected to your community. Who wouldn’t want that?

The basics! What is home care?

From help around the house, transport to appointments or even companionship, home care helps to keep you living where you’re most comfortable, at home! It can delay or even prevent the need to move to residential aged care. The extra support is designed to ensure you keep feeling safe and happy in your home.

Our help at home and help in the community services tailor supports to suit you. You can purchase the services you need or access government-funded support.

We’re with you, when and where you need us.

What support is included in a Home Care Package?

Here are some of the services we offer:

Personal care
Cleaning and laundry
Meal preparation
Meal planning
Gardening
Live-in support
Allied Health
Post-hospital support
Home nursing
Companionship
Transport

What’s the difference between the Commonwealth Home Support Programme and a Home Care Package?

Well, that’s a very common question! It can be tricky understanding the difference between the Commonwealth Home Support Programme and a Home Care Package.

At its simplest, the Commonwealth Home Support Programme is government-funded and offers a basic level of care and support at home. Many people start off with the Commonwealth Home Support Programme while they wait for their Home Care Package to be approved.

On the other hand, government-funded Home Care Packages offer a significantly larger amount of funding and four levels of support, from basic care needs to high care needs.

I have a Home Care Package with another provider.
Can I switch?

Yes! If you’re not happy with your current provider or you want to switch to an in-home provider who meets more of your needs, then you can definitely switch.

Here at VMCH, we make the process as easy as possible. We offer a client-focused approach and tailor needs to suit you. We offer a variety of services that include (but aren’t limited to) personal care, respite, and home and garden maintenance.

Give our customer service centre a call on 1300 698 624 and they’ll be happy to talk you through the process.

Let’s make this as simple and enjoyable
as possible for you.

Sometimes the hardest step is picking up the phone. We understand. VMCH is here to guide you through the paperwork, funding options and answer all your questions. Here are five steps to getting a Home Care Package.

1. Decide what type of care you need

Eligibility for a Home Care Package is based on your care needs. You might be an older person who needs coordinated services to help you stay at home, or a younger person with disability, dementia or other care needs not met through other specialist services. The first step is to find out if you’re eligible – we can help with that. You can call us on 1300 698 624 and we can help you to get started.

2. Be assessed by ACAS

To find out if you are eligible to a Home Care Package, you will need to be assessed by an Aged Care Assessment Service (ACAS). We can make a referral for an assessment on your behalf. You can also request an assessment yourself by contacting My Aged Care on 1800 200 422. If you want some help preparing for this assessment, we are here to guide you through the process, just give us a call on 1300 698 624.

3. Get your assessment back with the outcome

Once you’ve been assessed, you’ll receive a letter with the outcome, and if you’ve been approved, the level you’ve been approved for. Give us a call on 1300 698 624 and we’ll guide you through the next steps. In the meantime, as there is a national waitlist, we can organise entry-level support prior to the commencement of your package. We can also help you with privately-funded services.

4. Accept the offer and choose a provider

Three months before your package is due to commence, you’ll get a ‘readiness letter’ from My Aged Care with paperwork for you to complete. Then, once your package becomes available you’ll receive a letter confirming the details. Contact us on 1300 698 624 when you receive this letter, and we’ll walk you through the details of being a VMCH client.

5. Get started with VMCH

We’ll work with you to create a care plan for your needs. As part of your Home Care Package you will have access to a VMCH Case Manager. We know a lot about aged care. Naturally, our Case Managers are knowledgeable and can support you to get the most out of your Home Care Package.

Contact us today to learn more about
our home care services.

Phone us on

1300 698 624

Email us at

hello@vmch.com.au

Or click here to submit an online enquiry.

End-of-Life (EOL) Pathway

Changes to Short-Term Restorative Care (STRC)

Assistive Technology and Home Modifications (AT-HM) Scheme

All about care management services

Understanding the Single Assessment System for Aged Care

SAH: Services and pricing

SAH: Classification and funding changes

SAH: Participant contributions

Support at Home and current home care recipients

A little lost? Start here.

Locating the information you need has become far easier with our useful guide. Answer a few simple questions and you will be on your way.

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Acknowledgement of Country

We here at VMCH respectfully acknowledge the traditional owners of the lands on which we gather, and we would like to take a moment to honour the fact that we live on the lands of the oldest civilisation in the world. We acknowledge the stories, traditions and wisdom of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and pay our respects to their elders past, present and emerging.