In-home aged care services in Newcastle and the Hunter Valley

Staying at home and independent for as long as possible is a goal for most of us. But the tasks which used to be easy get more difficult as we get older.

If you need help at home, to do tasks which are no longer as simple as they used to be, there are funding packages available to access services which help.

You may need help in your home with:

• personal care (getting showered or dressed etc)
• transport to get to appointments or social activities in your community
• medical care at home (such as blood pressure monitoring, medication assistance, clinical and nursing services)
• meal preparation or help with shopping and cooking
• household tasks like cleaning or gardening

There are a variety of funding options available. And once you have secured the best package for you, Newlake can help you with the services you need to stay at home.

The State and Federal Governments have a variety of solutions to help.  Such as:

• Home Care Package
  
• Residential care in an aged home
• Residential respite care
• Short term restorative care
• Transition care
• Veterans Home Care via Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA)
• iCare Lifetime Care or Workers Care

Newlake can assist you in-home, either as a privately funded fee-for-service, or if you have a Home Care Package or iCare.

Home Care Packages were developed to help you stay at home longer and give you choice and flexibility to receive the care and support you need to do that.

It funds you to get help with:

• support your health (such as nursing care in your home, physiotherapy etc)
• help you need to stay in your home (such as cleaning, gardening, domestic duties)
• maintaining your independence (for example: transportation, personal care, help with bathing, meals, shopping etc)
• provides social supports so you can maintain and grow your connection to the community (for example: transportation, access to activities and events)

There are four levels of funding based on the amount of help you need. (ie. Level 1 supports basic care needs through to Level 4 which supports high-level care).

Older Australians (usually 65+ or 50+ for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people) who need this help, can apply for a face-to-face assessment of their eligibility for the services which can be funded through My Aged Care.

If you are not assessed as eligible, or you are waiting for this funding to be approved, you can access privately funded services at any time. Newlake can help with that.

If the assessment finds that you are eligible to access services, you will receive a Home Care Package.

Your first step is to register with My Aged Care.

Register by calling 1800 200 422 and have your Medicare card handy. This call usually takes about 10 minutes and you will need to answer a variety of questions about your health and your current circumstances.

(You can have someone with you during the call. So if you want help from a friend or family member to organise you and help make your decisions, you can. You may need to set up the “Appointment of a Representative” for that person to make decisions about your care. To do that, download this form and send it in – click here for more info.)

(If you need an interpreter, you can also ask for that when you call 1800 200 422.)

When you call My Aged Care (on 1800 200 422) to arrange an assessment you will answer a number of questions about your health and current circumstances. At the end of the call, and if you meet the criteria, My Aged Care will send an assessor to meet you. They will come to your home and do a face-to-face meeting to better understand your needs and to work out what level of funding you need.

You will need your Medicare number, a copy of any referrals from your doctor and the contact details of your GP or other health related professionals you are currently seeing.

The questions they ask will include:

• what support you have now
• your current health
• your current lifestyle
• if you have any memory problems
• if you have any issues with your daily tasks and activities
• any issues with your home or safety.

They will be assessing your:

• strengths
• difficulties
• goals
• preferences for services.

They will work out what the level of service you need to help you to manage your day-to-day life and maintain your independence.

If they assess you as eligible for services, they will discuss options for services in your area.

If you are assessed as eligible for a Home Care Package, My Aged Care will send you a letter explaining that you have been put on a waiting list and will be contacted when a suitable package becomes available.

During this time, you can do research on the home care providers in your area. You will be able to find out the services they offer and the fees they charge. (Give Newlake a call!)

Once you have received your funding, you then need to source a Plan Management Team, such as Newlake, who will help you budget, plan and book the services, support and care your budget will allow you to access. (Give Newlake a call!)

The government provides My Aged Care for senior Australians. All the information you need to know about the My Aged Care system is at their website. If you find this confusing, give us a call – we can help.

There are two types of fees for Home Care Packages at Newlake – basic fees (which everyone will be asked to pay) and income-tested care fees (worked out by the Dept of Human Services).

The first is the government determined daily client contribution. The second is our administrative charge. We don’t charge you any other fees or charges.

Simple.

When you are ready to discuss what you need and find service providers to help, give us a call.

Newlake will book a time to send one of our helpful Service Coordinators to your house to discuss your needs. We listen to what your difficulties and goals are and help you decide on where to spend your budget. Then we deliver a plan to match your needs and funding.

That means we will:

• always consult you and seek your approval in any decisions about your package
• charge fees which are competitive (we don’t charge set up, entry or exit fees, and no case management fees – we just charge one administrative fee)
• optimise the amount of help you can access
• source the suppliers you need (eg. a gardener, a cleaner, a nurse, a carer etc)
• book your services
• manage the service providers, regardless of whether they are Newlake staff or not, and monitor their performance
• handle any problems and we always ask for your feedback
• arrange the payment for the services and send monthly statements so you can keep track of the 12 month budget and get as much care as your budget will allow
• and always strive to get the best value for your package-dollar.

You can trust that the reliable team at Newlake will help you optimise the care and support that the Home Care Package can provide. So you can stay at home longer. Call Newlake for more information.

If you need assistance with Advocacy, Information or Education to access federally funded aged care services, this service may help.

The Older Persons Advocacy Network (OPAN) is made up of nine state and territory based service delivery organisations. OPAN organisations support you and your representatives to effectively access and interact with Commonwealth funded aged care services and have your rights protected.

Visit their website: www.opan.com.au
Call them on: 1800 700 600
Download their brochure by clicking here.

If you are feeling alone and don’t have regular contact with family or friends, the Community Visitors Scheme (CVS) can help.

The CVS can organise volunteers to visit people receiving Home Care Packages. They have coordinators in each state and territory who will match you with a suitable regular visitor.

Read more about the CVS organisations in your area.