As our parents ago, they might need some extra care and support with certain tasks to help them stay as independent as possible. There are many different services that your parents can access though the government funded supports. This first step is to assess the needs of your parents to help you understand the situation and what their needs might be.
You would need to consider things like: how good is there mobility, how good is there comprehension and cognition, do they need help with personal care, is there house clean and tidy or do they need support in this area, are they cooking for themselves or do they need a meal delivery service to take care of some of the meals they need, do they take medications, are they in need of transport to get to and from appointments. Having a clear picture of what their situation is will help you make informed decisions.
In Australia, the government offers various programs and subsidies to help support elderly individuals living at home. There are two main programs running now: Home Care Packages, and Commonwealth Home Support Program. Home Care Packages are designed to provide personalised support and care services with the availability of having a case manager look after the types of service the client may need. The Commonwealth Home Support Program is an entry level support service whereby the client may only need 1-3 service types and they also must pay a co-payment for these services. For example, someone may just need help with cleaning so they would get a referral code for Domestic Assistance, and they may need to pay a $12 co-payment for this service.
My Aged Care is government gateway to help you access services and they can help you to navigate aged care services. If you need help to find out how to access service Together We Care is great at helping you prepare for your assessment with My Aged Care.
