Your home, our care

In-Home Care Packages

The Australian Government’s In-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 In-Home Care packages. A professional ACAT Assessor will work with you to find out if an In-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 In-Home Care package is offered a different subsidy amount by the Federal Government, which is paid to the approved In-Home Care provider that you have selected.

Fee-For-Service

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

The “Fee-For-Service” In-Home Care program is just like eating from an ‘A La Carte’ restaurant. A client simply makes their selections from a service providers In-Home Care Menu and they only pay for the services they order.

Download our In-Home Care Menu from the Quicklinks menu or Resources & FAQs tab.

Eligibility

The Australian Government’s In-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 an In-Home Care package you must first be assessed by a professional ACAT assessor to find out if an In-Home Care package is the right service for you.

Find out if you are eligible for an In-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 an In-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 Care Services fees and charges?

Bundaleer Care Services publish fees and charges for in-home care on the My Aged Care website. 

Download our In-Home Care Menu from the Quicklinks menu or Resources & FAQs tab

Calculating your fees

My Aged Care can give you more information about In-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 In-Home Care solutions to people who don’t hold a Government subsidised In-Home Care package, but still require a degree of help to live independently in their own home.

The “Fee-For-Service” In-Home Care program is just like eating from an ‘A la Carte restaurant. A client simply makes their selections from a service provider In-Home Care Menu and they only pay for the services they order.

Home Care Agreements explained

Once you have chosen an In-Home Care Provider that best 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 an In-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 In-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 In-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 In-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 In-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.

For help see the changing providers checklist (download pdf)

Moving unspent funds

If you choose to move your In-Home Care package to another provider, any unspent funds in your In-Home Care package budget (after all expenses and fees have been paid) will move with you to your new In-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 In-Home Care Package Service Provider have rights and responsibilities under the Charter of Care Recipients’ Rights and Responsibilities for In-Home Care.

Your service provider must give you a copy of the Charter and deliver your services in a way that meets the In-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 In-Home Care Common Standards. These documents list the Australian Government’s service delivery expectations for approved providers of In-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 In-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)
• Charter of Rights and Responsibilities for In-Home Care
• In-Home Package & Fee for Service Rates and Costs (download pdf)
• Plan ahead for your future (download pdf)
• My Aged Care website
• Expression of Interest Form

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
• Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission – Aged Care Quality Standards in Easy English, simple And/or other languages AND consumer rights OR My Aged Care
• Consumer Rights
• Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission has been translated in 25 languages on a consumer video

Frequently asked questions 

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

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

Call us anytime in Wauchope on (02) 6586 9490 and Tamworth on (02) 6761 3600 and let us know how we can help.