Home Care Package

What can I achieve with my Home Care Package?

What you can achieve with your funds will depend on the Home Care Package level you are given. This information will be outlined in the confirmation letter you received from My Aged Care.

It’s important we match your goals and care plan with your care and support needs. Every request for service or purchase of a product must be considered in line with your individual goals and needs.

In some instances, your Home Care Package may make a contribution to the costs, but not necessarily cover the entire cost. We will work with you to ensure your essential care needs are never compromised and the services we provide contribute to you living independently in your home for as long as possible.

Whilst both you and Care Connect are given the flexibility to determine how to use your package funds, this is subject to important considerations:

• the item must not be an excluded item
• the item must be care or services as defined within the Aged Care Act 1997 (Cth) and specified in the  Quality of Care Principles 2014 
• the item must be required to support you in living at home

Sometimes a support may not fall neatly within the inclusions and exclusions list.  This does not mean it cannot be included in your Home Care Package.  It means that we will work in partnership with you to determine if the service, support or purchase:

• is directly linked to your identified care needs and goals
• will optimise your health and wellbeing
• is necessary for you to remain living safely and independently in your home
• can be delivered within your package budget
• would be considered an acceptable use of Government funds

The Department of Health has published a ‘Manual for Consumers’ which includes information on the Home Care Package program and how it operates,  as well as what’s included and excluded from Home Care Packages, to help you work with us to decide if a type of care or service is appropriate to meet your care needs. You can view this manual online here

Inclusions & Exclusions

Your Home Care Package funds should be used to purchase care and services that meet your care needs, such as:

• Personal services: assistance with personal activities such as bathing, showering, toileting, dressing and undressing, mobility and communication
• Transport and personal assistance: assistance with shopping, visiting health practitioners and attending social activities
• Cleaning and household tasks: help with making beds, ironing, laundry, dusting, vacuuming and mopping
• Home maintenance: minor home maintenance and modifications
• Light gardening: light weeding and pruning, lawn mowing or minor garden maintenance.
• Nutrition, hydration, meal preparation and diet: assistance with preparing meals, including special diets for health, religious, cultural or other reasons, assistance with using eating utensils and assistance with feeding
• Assistive technology: such as devices that assist mobility, communication and personal safety
• Aids and equipment: particularly those that assist a person to perform daily living tasks can be purchased using funds from your package budget
• Mobility and dexterity: when assessed by a qualified allied health professional the package can provide crutches, quadruped walkers, walking frames, walking sticks, mechanical devices for lifting, bed rails, slide sheets, sheepskins, tri-pillows, pressure-relieving mattresses and assistance using these aids
• Nursing, allied health and therapy services: for example, this may include speech therapy, podiatry, occupational or physiotherapy services and other clinical services such as hearing and vision services
• Telehealth: video conferencing and digital technology (including remote monitoring) to increase access to timely and appropriate care

Examples of items and services that Home Care Package funds CANNOT be used for:

• Items that would normally be purchased out of general income such as utilities and fuel
• Buying food including groceries and take-away meals, except as part of enteral feeding requirements
• Payment for permanent accommodation, including assistance with home purchase, mortgage payments or rent
• Payment of home care fees such as the basic daily fee and the income tested care fee
• Payment of fees or charges for other types of care funded, or partly funded, by the Australian Government
• Home modifications or assets that are not related to your care needs
• Travel and accommodation for holidays
• Cost of entertainment activities, such as club memberships and tickets to sporting events
• Gambling activities
• Payment for services and items covered by the Medicare Benefits Schedule (for example, visits to your GP or a specialist doctor) or the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (for example, the medication you need a prescription for.