Jump hoops for affordable aged care
Aged care
As you get older, it can become harder to do things on your own. You may need help with cleaning, health problems or moving about.
Aged care is support given to elderly people who needs help in their homes or who are unable to live independently.
Aged care seems expensive, and comes at a time when your finances may be dwindling. This might make you worry about whether you can afford to pay for care.
In Australia, we are lucky that government subsidies can help with the aged care costs, but you will have to jump through hoops to be approved. And you may have long waiting times before the government money becomes available (particularly home care).
This article takes a quick look at the three steps for approval.
Jump Hoops for Affordable Aged Care
Register with MyAgedCare
You first need to register with MyAgedCare. You can lodge an application online at myagedcare.gov.au or you can call on 1800 200 422. MyAgedCare complete a quick eligibility check by asking basic questions about your health and how you are coping.
It is a good idea to have a family member (or friend) with you to help with the answers. You can also nominate this person to be the MyAgedCare contact point for the rest of the process.
Referral to ACAT/ACAS
If you pass this first assessment, MyAgedCare pass on your contact details and the information collected to an Aged Care Assessment Team (ACAT). In Victoria, they refer to an ACAT as ACAS or Aged Care Assessment Service (ACAS). No matter what they are called, an ACAT and ACAS are the same service. If it is determined that your needs are quite simple, a different pathway may be taken with a referral to a Regional Assessment Service (RAS) to talk about home services through the Commonwealth Home Support Programme.
You should expect a call from the assessor to arrange a face-to-face assessment, usually in the home, but it might also be done while you are in hospital. Through the COVID period, these may be done via teleconferencing.
Assessors prefer to do the assessment in your home so they can see what the home environment is like and how well you are coping. This can help with the discussion around whether home care or residential care might be more appropriate.
If the ACAT/ACAS teams are busy, you may find several weeks delay between your first contact with MyAgedCare and your assessment appointment.
Assessment Results
After the assessment, you will receive a letter in the mail detailing the results. If approved, it will indicate approval for a Home Care Package – at Level 1, 2, 3 or 4 – and/or respite residential care and/or permanent residential care.
You can be approved for more than one care option, which may give you the flexibility to adapt as circumstances change. For example, if you want home care, but find the wait is too long you can switch and start looking at residential care if approval for residential care was also given. If not, a new assessment would be required.
Ask us for help
Government support to help cover costs is good news, but be aware that subsidised services may not be enough to cover all your aged care needs, or may not be available where and when you want.
Helping older people and families to understand the options available and strategies for funding your costs, while protecting your estate values, is what we do. Whatever stage of retirement you are in, whether planning ahead for your frailty years or approaching that time, we have the expertise and experience to help you. Or you might be the child of an older parent who is approaching frailty.
Call us on 1300 550 940 to discuss your needs. Financial advice and good decision-making are the keys to getting the aged care you need at a price you can afford.
