Accessing home care services

My Aged Care will register your details over the phone.

If you need a higher level of support, a Home Care Package (HCP) may be the most suitable option for you.

Home Care Packages provide you with a greater level of support so you can remain at home for longer and they give you even more flexibility.

My Aged Care will arrange for an Aged Care Assessment Team (ACAT) assessor (or the Aged Care Assessment Service (ACAS) in Victoria) to contact you and organise a time to do a comprehensive home assessment and to talk about your needs and services to best suit you.

On the day of your home assessment:

• Your assessment will be completed by a health professional from ACAT.
• We encourage a family member, friend or carer to be with you during your assessment for extra support.
• The ACAT assessor will:

• ask you questions about your day-to-day living activities and which ones you require assistance with
• find out about your general state of health and specific health conditions
• do you have someone helping you (neighbour, friend or family), and what type of support they are providing
• what goals do you have to improve your health, wellbeing and social connections
• determine the level and type of care you might be eligible for
• recommend to My Aged Care the package level and priority level. 

After your Home Care Package assessment, you’ll receive a letter from My Aged Care letting you know the outcome of your assessment, level of support and services you’ve been approved for.

You’ll then go on a national waiting list. We have options available to support your needs while you are waiting.

While you are waiting for your comprehensive home assessment, you will need to organise an Income and Assets assessment. To do this, contact Services Australia (Centrelink) on 1800 227 475. If you receive a Service Pension, you will need to contact Department of Veterans’ Affairs on 133 254.

This determines any additional weekly income tested fee contributions towards your Home Care.

• You can find out more income tested fees in the links below
• To arrange your Income Assessment with Services Australia (Centrelink) phone 1800 227 475 or Department of Veterans’ Affairs on 133 254.
• You’ll need to complete an Aged Care Fees Income Assessment form before you can receive services. 

While you are waiting your assessment results, this is a great time to start exploring all your local aged care providers and creating your short list. You’ll find them by using the Service Finder on the My Aged Care website (www.myagedcare.gov.au); or contact My Aged Care on 1800 200 422.

Choosing your home care provider is a very important and personal decision in your life and requires a considered approach:

• it will help you to remain living independently and safely in your own home; and
• you need to feel confident having someone attending to your personal needs.

That is why at Feros Care, we feel it’s incredibly important that you make your decision based on ALL the facts. Comparing by fees alone is easy, but we at Feros believe there should be much more to your decision than just that.

Also consider:

• will you have a dedicated care manager who will get to know you and develop a plan that is truly based on what care you want?
• how often your plan and the types of services you can receive will be reviewed?
• are entry and exit fees charged if your needs change?
• the types of services offered – both for your immediate needs and looking to your future

We suggest you use this checklist of questions when interviewing potential providers – Download checklist

When you reach the top of the national list, My Aged Care will send you a letter with your referral code and Home Care Package. This is an exciting time as it means you can start organising your services! Call your preferred provider, quote your referral code and get the wheels in motion. You have 56 days to activate your services.

If you have chosen Feros we’ll team you up with your Wellbeing Manager who will:

• visit you and work with you to create a plan that’s right for you. They take the time to compare ALL your options to give you maximum services from your government subsidy and your budget
• listen to your preferences about the types of people you’d feel comfortable having in your home, and coordinate the ideal team to best suit you
• regularly review your plan with you to ensure everything’s on track and your goals are still been met.