Have you recently received a letter regarding home care packages from My Aged Care?

Let us explain.

The Australian government has recently established a new Home Care Package Program in order to prioritise access to subsidised home care for those who need it most, and provide more flexibility to recipients.

Unused and unclaimed home care packages that were distributed in the past have been reclaimed, in order to reassign them to those who need care.

So what does this mean for you?

If you’re already receiving subsidised home care, don’t worry — you’ll continue receiving care. (But you might have more options now, if you want to change facilities or the type of care you’re receiving. Keep reading.)

The new program includes a national queue. Your position in the queue will depend on your relative need for care, and how long you’ve been waiting. (Approval for care will still be determined by an Aged Care Assessment Team.)

When you reach the top of the queue, you’ll be assigned a package from the national inventory, and My Aged Care will send you a letter with a unique referral code.

If this is the first time you’ve received a subsidised home care package, you can contact a care provider and give them your code, and discuss your options. (Or, if you’d prefer, My Aged Care can send an electronic referral on your behalf.)

On the other hand, if you’re already receiving subsidised home care, you might be assigned an upgrade, in which case your care provider will receive a notification directly from My Aged Care. You can then choose to upgrade your care, or continue receiving the same care as before.

Thousands of packages were released through My Aged Care in March 2017, and more will be released on a regular basis starting from April.

The purpose of this new system is to make access to care fairer, give recipients greater choice if they wish to move suburbs or change facilities, and streamline processes regarding unspent home care amounts and exit fees.

If you’d like to have a chat with Bankstown City Aged Care, feel free to call or visit us. As an experienced home care provider, we know how overwhelming the home care decision can be, and we’re passionate about assisting people in making the right choices for their circumstances.

You can also contact My Aged Care for more information on 1800 200 422 or visit myagedcare.gov.au