Home care packages can be tremendously helpful for elderly people who want to stay in their homes safely and comfortably. They can be used by the elderly and their family members to provide essential and life-enhancing services.
Many Australians don’t know what home care packages are or how to access the funding that could be available to them. Not only that, but even those with Home Care Packages often don’t know how to use them or for what they can be used for.
In this article, we’ll answer the questions that you have about Home Care Packages to see if they might help you or your loved one: everything from transportation and medical appointments to financial advice and mobile massage.
What Are Home Care Packages?
Home care packages aren’t actual packages at all; rather, they are a set amount of money that is provided for the home care of an elderly individual. This program was begun to help older Australians to access affordable services so they can stay in their homes longer.
How Can You Get a Home Care Package?
Not everyone is eligible for a home care package. You must demonstrate financial need as well as physical need. After you apply through the My Aged Care website, an independent contracting agency will conduct a thorough assessment of your needs. You will then learn about your benefits package if you are eligible.
How to Use Your Home Care Package
Many services are eligible for home care packages, much more than most people (even people who have them) realise. Let’s take a look at a few of the types and some of the services in them.
Medical care
You can use your home care package for a variety of in-home medical services. While traditional health insurance might cover many of these expenses, some can be done in your home to make things easier for you. These may include mobile blood tests and other simple checks.
In addition to actual medical care, home care packages may also pay for your transportation to medical appointments if you have issues with mobility or driving.
Home upgrades
If you bought your home many years ago, you probably did not think about how you would move around in it as you age. You can use your home care package to make upgrades or renovations to your home that make it more conducive to your needs now.
These upgrades may include a wide variety of things, including installing bars in the bathroom shower and around the toilet, putting in a ramp if access to your home is by stairs only, converting downstairs space to a bedroom, and much more.
Home maintenance
Taking care of a house can certainly become more challenging as we age. You can use your home care package for regular home maintenance as well. This may include a cleaning service to keep things tidy, gardeners or landscapers, and more. If you’re having trouble maintaining your home in any way, a Home Care Package can help to fund the services you need.
Physical therapy and mobile massage
While traditional physical therapy can be covered by health insurance, sometimes there are fees added if the therapist visits you in their home. You can use your home care package to cover this, since getting to those appointments may be a hassle, and you might be more comfortable in your own home.
You can also pay for mobile massage services using your home care package. Massages aren’t about luxury and relaxation exclusively. Especially for the elderly, massage can be incredibly therapeutic and beneficial, improving your quality of life.
Some of the benefits of massage for the elderly include:
- Massage helps to ease muscle and joint pain, especially in someone with arthritis It can help relax and reduce tension in a person with Alzheimer’s
- Physical contact and relaxation can help fight symptoms of depression
- Massage can help improve the quality of your sleep
Mobile massage can also help boost a person’s ability to maintain an active lifestyle, which is so crucial for long-term health.
Personal care
Home care packages can be used for a variety of personal care services. These can include:
- Help with personal hygiene: nurses or other home care professionals can help you shower, wash clothes, cut hair, trim nails, and more. This can be especially helpful for someone with a nervous system disorder such as ALS.
- Food shopping and meal preparation: we all know how important it is to eat a healthy, balanced diet as we age. But that can become very difficult if mobility issues or other complications make it difficult for you to go to the grocery store or prepare food. Home care packages can help by allowing you to hire someone to do one or both of these services for you.
- Managing finances: especially if you or your loved one are experiencing memory issues, paying bills and keeping up with your finances can be a major stressor. Luckily, home care packages can help by hiring someone to assist you in developing a better system for management.
- Other errands and tasks: as we age, there are many more challenges that we may not even think about before they arise. Very often, you can use your home care package to pay for things such as transportation to the pharmacy, running errands, and much more.
Maintain Your Independence
Maintaining independence and getting to stay in your home while being in charge of your own care is what many elderly Australians want for themselves as they age. In many situations and with many elderly people, Home Care Packages have allowed them to do so safely and comfortably.
Remember, getting the help you need to remain in your home isn’t just about your own needs – it can also give tremendous peace of mind to your loved ones, and take some of the burdens of your care off of their shoulders. That way, you can all enjoy your time together without the added stress.
From mobile massage to help with cleaning to in-home medical services, a Home Care Package might be just the solution you’re looking for to maintain your independent, active lifestyle.
You can learn more about Home Care Packages and apply on the My Aged Care website.
If you’d like to learn more about our mobile massage services for the elderly, contact us today.
