Article posted:Jan 22, 2011
Category: Home and Community Care
What is Home Care?Currently the majority of elderly residents are hoping to stay in their own homes for as long as possible before moving into residential aged care. Home Care is a service which is a half-way point between living at home, but residential aged care service such as cooking, health care and housework are delivered to the individual in their own home. If you or someone you know may be interested in this type of service, then they will firstly need to have an Aged Care Assessment Team (ACAT) assessment which in most cases will be free.
They will then be placed into either a CACP (Community Aged Care Packages) category or an EACH (Extended Aged Care at Home) category. These are government programs and differ in the extent of services provided. If the individual is assessed into the EACH category, Home Care could provide the following services:EACH services include:
- Registered nurse care
- Social support
- Assistance with oxygen and/or enteral feeding
- Allied health care
- Transport to appointments
- Personal care
If placed into the CACP category, the following services can be provided:
CACP services:
- cooking
- medication
- gardening and/or social activities
- dressing
- transportation
- cleaning and laundry
- personal hygiene
However if the person is placed into the EACH category, this means they require a higher level of care than those placed into the CACP category. This means that if they do move into residential care later on, it would be likely that a high level of care would be needed for them.
Adelaide Home Care
Home Care is a relatively new service in the aged care industry, but can be found in all Adelaide regions. CACP and EACH care are available. You can search for Home Care Adelaide.
More Information
Government Programs
The CACP and EACH packages are regulated and partially funded by the Government.
If you are placed into a CACP or EACH package then a fee of no more than 17.5% of the individual’s income will be charged, if the individual is on the maximum basic pension rate. For those who earn a higher income, they may be asked to pay additional fees but that cannot exceed more than 50% of their income.
Private Providers and Not-for-Profit Organisations
There are also private providers which are sometimes in conjunction with government programs, however commercial rates do apply. Not-for-profit organisations may also provide Home Care and therefore with a charitable reduction.
What are the costs? Government versus Private Providers
The ACAT/ACAS assessments are free of charge.
Where can I get an ACAT (Aged Care Assessment Team) assessment?
ACATs can be searched for at the Australian Government’s Department for Health and Ageing.
You can search by post code or by state and suburb.
Helpful Links
- Search for Home Care facilities in Adelaide and South Australia
- Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing
