The Essential 8 Steps to Maximise Your Home Care Package Funds

Worried about getting enough care and support for your loved one?

You’re not alone. Many families struggle to get a handle on how to best use their loved one’s HCP funds. This one-page guide gives you the power to take charge, maximise value, and ensure your loved one gets the care they deserve.

Step 1: Understand Your Loved One’s Needs

Keep a detailed log for a week of all the tasks and activities you and others do to support your loved one. Do you wash the dishes when you’re there, do online shopping or drop meals over, call in to check that they are eating, clean the bathroom or water the garden? This paints a clear picture of their needs.

Step 2: Gather Supporting Documents

Collect any assessments, diagnoses, or referrals from health professionals. This paperwork strengthens your case for getting the home care services you need.

Step 3: Prioritise Needs and Goals

Review and rank your log and identify the most critical needs and those your loved one wants to stay independent with.

Step 4: Identify Your Capacity as a Carer

Be realistic about the amount of support you can consistently provide as a family carer. What of the tasks can you or other family caregivers sustainably do.  The gap between what you can do and what’s needed becomes the focus for your HCP funds.

Step 5: Utilise Other Programs

Look into programs like allied health services, community visitors, continence assistance programs or private health extras cover that might address some needs, freeing up HCP funds for other priorities.  You can also arrange private OT assessments to skip the waiting list within the package program.

Step 6: Invest in Independence-Promoting Equipment

Consider one-off purchases of assistive equipment or home modifications that help your loved one do things themselves. This can reduce reliance on ongoing services which are expensive and subject to staffing shortages.

Step 7: Maximise Assessments

When physiotherapy or occupational therapy assessments are needed, try to bundle as many needs as possible into one appointment. This saves time, money, and reduces the hassle of multiple visits.  Plan to have your assessments based on your projected needs for the next year.

Step 8: Regularly Review and Update

Care needs can change. Review your loved one’s needs and the care plan (services and supports needed) every six months and make adjustments where required. You and your provider should do this review at least annually.

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