SPONSORED by Barossa Village
Living in your own home for as long as you can, enjoying your interests, friends and family is the goal for any person wanting to lead a fulfilling and purposeful life. A well planned Home Care Package can help you to fulfil your potential and maximise the opportunities that living at home can offer you.
Developing a personalised Home Care Package is a partnership between you and your care provider, working together to maintain your wellbeing and independence in your own home, while giving you and your family peace of mind.
Barossa Village is a community owned not for profit organisation, celebrating over 55 years of providing aged care services to the Barossa. Community Care Team Leader, Lucy McFadyen, explains Home Care Packages and how they help people to live in their own homes, longer.
WHAT IS A HOME CARE PACKAGE?
You’ve probably heard people talking about Home Care Packages, but unsure about exactly what this means. Most simply, it is a government-funded program that helps provide long-term support for older people who want to stay living in their own home. The program offers four different levels of care and support, depending on a person’s specific needs, with each level receiving a different amount of funding which can be used for care or other support services.
HOW DO I GET A HOME CARE PACKAGE?
This usually happens as the result of a health episode and you’ll get a referral from your GP or a health care professional. An Aged Care Assessment Team (ACAT) will then chat to you about your health and about any other needs that will be factored into working out which package is the right one for you. Once you’ve had your assessment and you’ve been notified of your Home Care Package, you’ll need to choose an approved Home Care Package provider to manage or coordinate the support services within the scope of your package.
WHAT IF MY NEEDS CHANGE?
Once you’ve been given a Home Care Package, you can keep it for as long as you need. If your needs increase, you may be re-assessed for a higher level package. Your provider will work with you to make sure your needs are being met – it’s important that they’re flexible and responsive to changes in your life.
WHY DO I NEED TO WORK WITH A CARE COORDINATOR OR MANAGER?
Talking to a care coordinator or manager will help to gain an understanding of your ongoing needs and get a good picture of the way you live and the way you want to live. It’s a partnership that’s focused on independence and safety in your own home and helps to develop the right package for you.
WILL MY CARE COORDINATOR BE ACCESSIBLE?
Being local is a big part of who we are. We’re often told by clients that they want somebody that’s close by, and all our Care Coordinators are all based in Nuriootpa, though you’ll often find them on the road working with clients throughout the Barossa Valley, Light, Goyder and Gawler regions. Being available on call 24/7 provides security for our clients and their families.
Barossa Village has a strong reputation in this area and people know our name. Because we’ve been a part of the community for 55 years, there’s a sense of familiarity and connection through family, friends or neighbours. The majority of our care staff live in the region and know it well. They have a depth of skills and experience and each bring a diverse set of skills to our team, including clinical care.
WHAT SERVICES CAN I GET IN MY PACKAGE & HOW MUCH IS IT?
A care coordinator will look at the most important needs in your life and understand what your priorities are, which are different for each person. Some people want help with their gardening or shopping, or need someone to walk their dogs, while others want to continue their crafts or social and group activities. For many people it’s focused around personal care in the home which can be meal preparation and nutrition, showering, medication management, minor modifications to their home or links to allied health.
Clients on a Home Care Package at Barossa Village are charged only $5.00 a day for their contribution. We do this to make high quality care accessible throughout our community, regardless of income.
WHERE CAN I GET MORE INFORMATION?
You can contact me, Lucy McFadyen, Community Care Team Leader, with any questions about Home Care Packages on 8562 0300 or go to the Barossa Village website. I can also help you navigate My Aged Care, designed by the Government to be the central information point about aged care.
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GET IN TOUCH
Get in touch with the local team at Barossa Village today…
PHONE 8562 0300
EMAIL csreception@barossavillage.org
WEBSITE barossavillage.org
VISIT 14 Scholz Avenue, Nuriootpa SA 5355
