Am I Eligible For A Government-Funded Package?
A government-funded package will cover the cost of the support services that you need to continue living at home. To discover if you are eligible for a government-funded package, you need to be assessed by the Aged Care Assessment Team (ACAT). ACAT asses the needs of older people and makes recommendations for government-funded care. They will assess you based on your care needs and the kind of care you need to stay independent and living at home. This assessment will determine if you are eligible for government-funding, and how much funding you are eligible for by having a conversation about your needs and working with you to develop a support plan. The amount of funding depends on the amount of support you need.
Gratitude In-Home Care can help arrange this assessment for you and guide you through the process. Also, ACAT can be contacted via the My Aged Care website: https://www.myagedcare.gov.au, or phone: 1800 200 422.
According to My Aged Care, you may be eligible if you have experienced the following:
- Noticed a change in what you can do or remember
- Been diagnosed with a medical condition or reduced mobility
- Experienced a change in family care arrangements, or
- Experienced a recent fall or hospital admission.
The next step is to qualify for an assessment where you need to meet the needs and age requirements:
- You need a certain amount of assistance with everyday tasks.
- You are 65 years or older (50 years or older for Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people).
- An assessment eligibility checker is available on the My Aged Care website here
There are four levels of home care packages with a maximum contribution from the government associated with each level of needs
Home Care Level 1 – basic care needs
Home Care Level 2 – low-level care needs
Home Care Level 3 – intermediate care needs
Home Care Level 4 – high care needs
The Australian Government contributes a different amount for each level of Home Care Package. The government subsidy for each package level is as follows:
Home Care Package level Daily government subsidy rate Yearly government contribution
Level 1 $24.73 $9,026.45
Level 2 $43.50 $15,877.50
Level 3 $94.66 $34,550.90
Level 4 $143.50 $52,377.50
The government contribution changes on 1 July every year; these figures are up to date as at 1 July 2021. See reference
Financial Assessment
The government will assess your financial situation around your income and assets. The government will then decide based on that assessment how much you are required contribute to the cost of the care you require, if any. The Australian Government subsidises a lot of the costs, but it is possible you will have to pay some of the cost, however, you will never be denied the care you need because you can’t afford it. If you can’t afford to pay for the services you require, the government will cover the costs.
If you’re assessed as not eligible for a home care package, you can access privately funded services through Gratitude In-home Care. Contact us and we can explain how it works and calculate how much privately funded services would cost depending on your needs.
We provide the following services:
- Personal care
- Palliative care
- Overnight & 24-hour care
- Respite care
- Medication assistance
- Nursing services
- After hospital care
- Companionship
- Shopping support and meal preparation
- Gardening and home maintenance
- Transport support
- Assistance with household tasks
- Community access
Contact us to have a no-charge, no-obligation chat about your options.
For more info, visit our website at: http://www.gihc.com.au/ Call us on (03) 9863 6959, email us at info@gihc.com.au
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