The best home aged care services on the Far South Coast

Ageing comes with a plethora of challenges and obstacles. Many elderly people these days want to overcome these challenges and live a fulfilling retirement in the comfort of their own home rather than in a nursing or retirement home.

Home aged care services help you live a full life within the comfort of the home you’ve come to love, giving you control over your life, where you are, what you eat and how you spend your time.

From the simple everyday things such as needing help around the house, to more involved care requiring the help of health professionals, home care can provide an extensive range of services to ensure that you can maintain your independence. Home care services can even help you install assistance tools around the home such as hand rails in bathrooms or emergency call systems, helping to keep you safer as you age.

Many of these services are customisable to your needs and some even qualify for government funding to help you access them. Though it may take some time to get support for a home care package so it’s vital to apply early.

If you’ve been looking for a reliable home care service but are a bit bewildered by the choices, we can help. We asked the locals to share their feedback and recommendations. From there, we put together this list of the top three home care services on the Far South Coast.

Choosing a home care service provider

The My Aged Care website can help you find home care services in your area. It will tell you which providers are out there, but you still have to decide which is best for you.

There are different types of funding which will narrow the field of providers to choose from. The services you require will help inform you which providers will suit your needs.

To enter into the Aged Care system, you must first be assessed according to your current assistance needs. You will be deemed eligible for a Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP) or a Home Care Package (HCP).

The CHSP is for people who need basic ongoing assistance or short-term help. HCP provides a greater, more tailored level of support.

If you are on a CHSP but think you may need an HCP in the future it might be worth considering providers that offer services for both. This will allow a seamless transition as your needs evolve.

What makes excellent home aged care services?

If you’re not exactly sure what to look for when comparing home care services, we’ve got you covered. Here are a couple of traits to look out for:

• Experienced staff you can trust. If you’re letting people into your home, you have to be able to trust them. Consider the experience and reputation of the organisation and ask about their hiring practices. Do they employ their own staff or outsource to other providers? Do they provide training? Do they require police checks? Have any complaints been made against them? It’s important that a track record is consulted.
• A wide range of support options. The best home care service providers offer an extensive range of services. This includes everything from domestic duties (e.g. laundry, dishes, cooking, and cleaning) to health care (e.g. rehabilitation, access to allied health professionals, and medication assistance).
• Reliable and flexible. Your home care service provider should be reliable. They should show up on time and ready to complete their duties and if you need to change the time of your support they should be happy to oblige.
• Someone who can help to navigate the aged care system. Obtaining government funding for home care can be a bureaucratic nightmare. Make sure that the home care provider you’re considering is happy to help you navigate the system.
• A collaborative approach. You want someone who will work with you as a partner, building your plan in collaboration with you, rather than a provider who works on your behalf with little consultation. Read the service providers’ values and specialisations to make sure they align with you own.
• Staff that value your independence. Consider whether the potential provider will help you maintain your independence while you are accessing their services. Are they listening to your wants and needs?
• Efficient communication. It is also important to find providers who are efficient and communicate with you openly about your plan. It can be a lengthy process and there are long waitlists. Providers need to work in a timely manner to ensure you don’t fall to the end of those waitlists.

Remember that providers are here to help you live you own life and support you as an individual.

The best home aged care services on the Far South Coast

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Your experience with home aged care services on the Far South Coast

Thanks to our commenters who have provided insightful feedback. If you believe we have got it wrong, please let us know.

Have you had experience with an at-home care provider? Please share your thoughts and feedback in the comments area below.