As a senior, finding the right type of support can be a long and complicated process. Here’s what you need to know about aged care sector pathways.
Currently, there are two funding streams available under the federal government-funded My Aged Care program: the Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP) and the Home Care Package.
To qualify for funding under either of these packages, an Australian must be 65 or over. For Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander Australians, the qualifying age is 50.
Samuel Dauncey, the director of registered service provider Right at Home, based in Shailer Park, said the CHSP could be described as an entry-level funding package.
Often, the CHSP is the first scheme older Australians are directed to before graduating to Home Care Packages.
“Think of it as lower-level funding for people who are still very self-sufficient in their lives and just require lower-level services here and there.
“It does entitle people to basic services like fortnightly domestic assistance or some subsidized transport or for subsidized meals to be delivered [to their home].”
Those on the CHSP program will need to contribute money towards their services, regardless of their financial means, Mr Dauncey said.
He said Home Care Packages came in four levels and are generally for people with higher or more complex care needs.
“Each level [of Home Care Packages] has increased amounts of yearly funding that people can use towards their care, level one being for low care needs, level four being for high care needs.
“It’s roughly $12,000 for level one and about $62,000 for level four, that’s the amount of money they get to use towards their care per year.”
Exact funding tier figures can be viewed on the My Aged Care website. Those wishing to access the scheme must first choose a provider to deliver their services. The funding from Home Care Packages can only be used by people still living at home, rather than in an aged care facility.
There is a secondary approval phase where participants in a Home Care Package program can receive a subsidy to enter and live in an aged care facility, Mr Dauncey said.
Navigating the aged care system is “incredibly complex, Mr Dauncey said, and there isn’t a lot of help or support for people trying to navigate the system alone.
Long wait times are a common issue older Australians face when trying to sign up for the schemes. After registering with My Aged Care, which can be done over the phone, the next step is to get an in-home assessment from a My Aged Care assessor.
“It’s probably going to be four to six weeks from your first phone call before that [the in-home assessment] even occurs,” Mr Dauncey said.
“Usually, the outcome of that is they are awarded the CHSP funding, and the services under that funding, depending on what their care needs are.
“The CHSP is being transitioned out over the next couple of years by the government. So the government is releasing less and less grant funding to providers to actually enable them to deliver services under the CHSP funding.
“What we’re faced with is a lot of senior Australians who have been awarded this lower level of funding, who can’t find a provider to actually provide the services they’ve been approved for.
“It’s an extremely big problem at the moment.”
For those trying to secure a subsidized place at an aged care facility, a My Aged Care assessor will refer a person to the Aged Care Assessment Team (ACAT), a separate department that will conduct a secondary assessment.
“The wait time between those two assessments is probably going to be three to six months.”
For those trying to access a high level of funding under the Home Care Package scheme, “it’s probably a 12-month process at the minimum,” Mr Dauncey said.
“Unfortunately, it’s not a quick process, and it’s very confusing to people going through it.”
Help to navigate these systems can be accessed at aged care advocacy networks like the Older Persons Advocacy Network (OPAN), which will advocate on your behalf and help you with matters related to the aged care system for free.
Some providers, like Mr Dauncey’s Right at Home organisation, are also willing to help older Australians out, where possible, for free.
