One of the major changes was the introduction of the Support at Home program, now replacing the Home Care Packages and Short-Term Restorative Care programs.
The Support at Home program aims to improve access to services and equipment to allow older people to continue living independently at home for longer.
Rochester resident Cheryl Anderson is among the many older people across Australia who have transitioned to the Support at Home program.
Chronic back pain makes simple daily tasks difficult and limits her ability to move around her home quickly.
In 2021, she became eligible for a level three HCP worth up to $41,847.25 per year, which covered support needs such as personal care, domestic assistance, meal preparation and more.
Under the new act, the old four-level system has been replaced with the eight-level Support at Home program, offering more flexibility and allowing care to grow as individual needs change.
However, people assessed for a Home Care Package before September 12, 2024, are protected by the ‘no worse off’ rule, meaning they pay the same amount or less under the new program.
Mrs Anderson is among those protected by the ‘no worse off rule’ and said the smooth transition had eased her anxiety around the incoming changes.
“Everybody that has spoken to me has told me there will be no changes, I’ll still get the same,” she said.
“It takes a lot of the worry out of it in a way because if you didn’t know what you were getting, you can’t budget or anything.”
Those who aren’t ‘grandfathered participants’ like Mrs Anderson will fall under ‘transitioned participants’, and will now operate under the new contribution settings, based on their pension or income status.
Alongside the eight new categories, all participants can access the Assistive Technology and Home Modifications Scheme, the Restorative Care Pathway and the End-of-Life Pathway to help them stay at home longer:
Despite her smooth transition, Mrs Anderson said confusion remained for many older people who were unsure of what they were entitled to.
“The thing that I think is a big problem with it is I know lots of ladies who are older than me and they (ask me) how do you get on to this,” she said.
“People don’t know what is out there for (them) ... they’ve been living by themselves and have no idea what they can access.”
To help the community navigate the changes, the Rochester and Elmore District Health Service is hosting a ‘Positive Ageing’ drop-in session.
Staff from REDHS’s Aged Care and Support at Home teams will be on site to answer questions about the Support at Home program, My Aged Care, REDHS services and Residential Aged Care.
The session will be held on Tuesday, November 25, from 10am to 2pm at REDHS.
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