Home Care Packages

The Australian Government’s Home Care packages program has been designed to help you live independently in the comfort of your own home for as long as possible.

There are four levels of Home Care packages. An ACAT Assessor will work with you to find out if a Home Care package is the right service for you. ACAT stands for Aged Care Assessment Team.

The four package levels are structured as follows:

• Level 1 supports people with BASIC CARE NEEDS
• Level 2 supports people with LOW-LEVEL CARE NEEDS
• Level 3 supports people with INTERMEDIATE CARE NEEDS
• Level 4 supports people with HIGH LEVEL CARE NEEDS

Each level of Home Care package is offered a different subsidy amount by the Federal Government, which is paid to the approved Home Care provider that you have selected.

Fee-For-Service

Some providers, including Bundaleer, also offer Home Care solutions to people who don’t hold a Government subsidised Home Care package, but still require a degree of help to live independently in their own home.

The “Fee-For-Service” Home Care program is just simply making your individual set of needs in the most efficient and effective way and only paying for the services you require.

Eligibility

The Australian Government’s Home Care packages program has been designed to help you live independently in the comfort of your own home for as long as possible. To be eligible for a Home Care package you must first be assessed by a professional ACAT assessor to find out if a Home Care package is the right service for you.

Find out if you are eligible for a Home Care package here. 

What types of fees are there?

There are three types of fees that you can expect to pay.

1. A basic daily fee  - which you may be asked to contribute to.
2. An income-tested care fee – which is a required payment.
3. Bundaleer Care Services fees and charges - charges for the services we provide. 

What is the basic daily fee?

The maximum basic daily fee is 17.5 percent of the single person rate of the basic Age Pension. This rate increases on March 20 and September 20 each year in line with changes to the Age Pension. This applies to each person receiving a Home Care package, even if you are part of a couple.

What is an income-tested care fee?

The Australian Government subsides a range of Aged Care in Australia. If your personal circumstances allow, it is expected that you will contribute to the cost of your care. Fees are set by the Commonwealth Department of Social Services following a financial assessment on each resident by Centrelink or the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Any fees and eligibility for subsidies will be discussed and agreed upon with your service provider before you receive the relevant services.

What are Bundaleer's Home Care fees and charges?

Bundaleer publishes fees and charges for Home Care on the My Aged Care website. Download our Home Care Menu from the Resources tab

Calculating your fees

My Aged Care can give you more information about Home Care fees, as well as an estimate of your likely fees. Call the My Aged Care contact centre direct on 1800 200 422 or go to the My Aged Care website.

Fee-For-Service

Some providers, including Bundaleer, also offer Home Care solutions to people who don’t hold a Government-subsidised Home Care package but still require a degree of help to live independently in their own home.

The “Fee-For-Service” Home Care program, that’s where we listen to your specific needs and help create a customised and tailored plan to fulfill your requirements. 

Home Care Agreements explained

Once you have chosen a Home Care Provider that meets your needs, they must provide you with a Home Care Agreement. 

A Home Care Agreement is a legal agreement between you and your service provider that sets out exactly what your package will provide, who will provide the services and most importantly how much they will cost. It is important to remember that you and the service provider are entering into a Home Care Agreement as equal partners.

Your service provider must give you a copy of the Charter of Care Recipients’ Rights and Responsibilities – which sets out the expectations for you and your service provider.

Your service provider must work with you to design a Home Care Plan based on your needs and provide you with an individual budget setting out the total funds available in your package and how they will be used. Your Home Care Agreement must be signed before your Home Care Package services can start.

All you need to know about In-Home Care Agreements (download pdf)

Changing Providers

Did you know that you have the freedom to change your Home Care package provider at any time?

You might want to change providers if you move to another area, if you’re after a better fit or require a particular service that your current provider doesn’t offer.

Before you make the decision to change providers please make sure that you check your Home Care Agreement so you understand any conditions regarding notice periods and exit amounts.

Researching new Providers

You can find a new In-Home Care package provider by using the service finder at the My Aged Care website or by calling My Aged Care direct on 1800 200 422.

Make sure that you compare each provider’s fees with those of your current Home Care provider for items such as Administration of your package and Case Management. Once you have found a new Provider, you will need to contact My Aged Care to re-activate your referral code. You will also need this referral code to give to your new provider, before you can start receiving their services.

When you have agreed on an end date with your current provider, you have 56 days from the end date to enter into a Home Care Agreement with a new provider. If you do not enter into a Home Care Agreement by this time, your Home Care package will be withdrawn and you will not be able to use your referral code.

It is also important to remember that the start date with your new provider must be after the end date you have agreed with your old provider and the dates cannot overlap.

Moving unspent funds

If you choose to move your In-Home Care package to another provider, any unspent funds in your Home Care package budget (after all expenses and fees have been paid) will move with you to your new Home Care provider. Your old service provider will give you a statement showing you the amount of unspent funds that will be transferred to your new service provider.

If your old service provider has included an exit amount in your Home Care Agreement this amount will be deducted from the unspent funds to be transferred to your new Service Provider. If you do not have any unspent funds, the old Service Provider cannot charge you the exit amount. If your unspent funds amount is less than the agreed exit amount, the old service provider can retain the unspent funds amount. The rest of the exit amount cannot be treated as a debt.

Rights and responsibilities

You and your Home Care Package Service Provider have rights and responsibilities under the Charter of Care Recipients’ Rights and Responsibilities for Home Care.

Your service provider must give you a copy of the Charter and deliver your services in a way that meets the Home Care Common Standards. You can ask your service provider for a copy of the Charter of Rights and Responsibilities for In-Home Care and the Home Care Common Standards. These documents list the Australian Government’s service delivery expectations for approved providers of Home Care.

Facts about ACAT Assessments

Because the Australian Government subsidises a large range of Aged Care in Australia, before you can move into any subsidised Aged Care Facility or receive any Home Care you will need to have a comprehensive assessment to determine the level of care you need.

This comprehensive assessment is undertaken by an Aged Care Assessment Team (ACAT) and is usually referred to as an ACAT Assessment.

9 facts you should know about ACAT Assessments (download pdf)

Resources

Links

• In-Home Care Fee Estimator (My Aged Care website)
• My Aged Care website

Links - standards and consumer rights

• NDIS Quality and safeguards Commission – NDIS Practice Standards and/or consumer rights
• NDIS – NDIS Practice Standards (easy English or other languages) and/or consumer rights
• NDIS Practice Standards and Consumer Rights in your language
• Council for Intellectual Disability (CID) – Resources on the standards AND/OR consumer rights

Frequently asked questions 

We understand that you may have many questions about the available options.

We’re here to help and would be happy to talk to you about all the options and what needs to happen next.