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PROS AND CONS OF HOME CARE AND CARE HOMES

Recent studies by the Royal Commission show that Australians want to stay at home for as long as possible.

In-home care refers to receiving support to live in your own home by a professional carer, while care homes describe nursing homes, where multiple residents share accommodation with 24-hour support.

A common misconception about aged-care is that the only safe and practical option for people with high care needs is care-homes, but in fact home care is a safe and practical option.

Pros of In-home care

Cost-effective In-home care is a personalised fee, so you can get as much or as little assistance as you need, unlike care-homes which have a fixed fee.
Better for health and wellbeing. Being in a familiar environment is more relaxing and lowers stress levels.
Promotes independence by supporting you to continue doing the things you want to do.
Personalised care when you want it.
Home care is suitable for people with dementia because there is a sense of security in ones home they have lived for a long time, being much less disorienting for people with memory issues. A loved one’s condition can decline more quickly in unfamiliar environments.

Cons

Home maintenance cost and bills
Home may need modifications

Pros of care homes

Around the clock care by more than one carer
Social environment as care homes have multiple residents living in the same facility which can reduce loneliness if you don’t have many friends.

Cons

Moving from living in a familiar to a non-familiar place can result in a decline in health.
Care homes are expensive, especially if you don’t need 24-hour care.
Care homes may not offer specialised dementia services
There is varying quality of Care homes
Care homes have strict rules
Fixed fees
Care-homes have overheads such as mortgages, gas, electricity, and maintenance cost which customers will be charged for.

When looking for in-home care for yourself or loved-ones, Gratitude In-Home Care can help you with the process from start to finish. Look no further than Gratitude In-Home Care for any in-home care needs.

For more information, visit our website at: http://www.gihc.com.au/ Call us on 1300 912 155. Contact us to have a no-charge, no-obligation chat to provide some clarity and we can discuss your options.

See the full blog at: http://www.gihc.com.au/blog/
Contact us today for a free home assessment, no-charge, no-obligation chat about your options.

We provide the following services:

Personal care
Palliative care
Overnight & 24-hour care
Respite care
Medication assistance
Nursing services
After hospital care
Companionship
Shopping support and meal preparation
Gardening and home maintenance
Transport support
Assistance with household tasks
Community access

Contact us to have a no-charge, no-obligation chat about your options.
For more info, visit our website at: http://www.gihc.com.au/ Call us on (03) 9863 6959, email us at info@gihc.com.au
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What to do when your elderly parent doesn’t admit they need support at home

There are lots of noticeable changes that may occur, which may lead you to mention that they need some extra support around the house. However, it’s not uncommon for aging parents to be stubborn and refuse in-home support or deny needing support. Aging parents that start exhibiting physical, mood, memory, and living arrangement changes may need in-home assistance depending on the severity and if they continue to exhibit such behaviour. If these issues are identified and properly dealt with early enough, they can avoid going into an Aged Care Home. Physical changes If there are any noticeable physical changes such as:

Weight loss.
Loss of appetite or eating problems.
Lack of personal care/cleanliness due to lack of showering, brushing teeth, foul odour.
Injuries, bruises, cuts, or burns indicating falls or accidents.
Unclean clothes and bedsheets.
Increased frequency of falls.

Mood and memory changes If there are any noticeable mood or memory changes such as:

Forgetting things more frequently than usual.
More withdrawn than usual
More easily frustrated than usual
Repeating themselves more frequently

Living arrangements Changes in the cleanliness of their living arrangement:

Clothes are not being washed very often.
The garden is becoming more overgrown than usual.
There is more expired food in the fridge and cupboard than usual.
The house has a more noticeable odour.
The house in general is noticeable not as clean as usual.

What to do when your elderly parent(s) don’t admit they need support at home? The way you handle the conversation about parents needing support around the house is very important. It needs to be done in a manner which is respectful, genuine, and timely. It’s important that they understand that it’s in their best interest to get support. It’s great if you can make time to provide assistance for elderly parents, but when it becomes too much work, don’t feel like you can’t ask for extra help, especially when they’re eligible for funding. Gratitude In-Home care can assist with any of the issues that your elderly parents might be having. The services we offer are:

Personal care
Palliative care
Overnight & 24-hour care
Respite care
Medication assistance
Nursing services
After hospital care
Companionship
Shopping support and meal preparation
Gardening and home maintenance
Transport support
Assistance with household tasks
Community access

Contact us to have a no-charge, no-obligation chat about your options. For more info, visit our website at: http://www.gihc.com.au/ Call us on (03) 9863 6959, email us at info@gihc.com.au Website Facebook Instagram Twitter Linkedin YouTube

AM I ELIGIBLE FOR A GOVERNMENT-FUNDED PACKAGE?

Am I Eligible For A Government-Funded Package?

A government-funded package will cover the cost of the support services that you need to continue living at home. To discover if you are eligible for a government-funded package, you need to be assessed by the Aged Care Assessment Team (ACAT). ACAT asses the needs of older people and makes recommendations for government-funded care. They will assess you based on your care needs and the kind of care you need to stay independent and living at home. This assessment will determine if you are eligible for government-funding, and how much funding you are eligible for by having a conversation about your needs and working with you to develop a support plan. The amount of funding depends on the amount of support you need.

Gratitude In-Home Care can help arrange this assessment for you and guide you through the process. Also, ACAT can be contacted via the My Aged Care website: https://www.myagedcare.gov.au, or phone: 1800 200 422.

According to My Aged Care, you may be eligible if you have experienced the following:

Noticed a change in what you can do or remember
Been diagnosed with a medical condition or reduced mobility
Experienced a change in family care arrangements, or
Experienced a recent fall or hospital admission.

The next step is to qualify for an assessment where you need to meet the needs and age requirements:

You need a certain amount of assistance with everyday tasks.
You are 65 years or older (50 years or older for Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people).
An assessment eligibility checker is available on the My Aged Care website here

There are four levels of home care packages with a maximum contribution from the government associated with each level of needs

Home Care Level 1 – basic care needs

Home Care Level 2 – low-level care needs

Home Care Level 3 – intermediate care needs

Home Care Level 4 – high care needs

The Australian Government contributes a different amount for each level of Home Care Package. The government subsidy for each package level is as follows:
Home Care Package level Daily government subsidy rate Yearly government contribution
Level 1 $24.73 $9,026.45
Level 2 $43.50 $15,877.50
Level 3 $94.66 $34,550.90
Level 4 $143.50 $52,377.50
The government contribution changes on 1 July every year; these figures are up to date as at 1 July 2021. See reference

Financial Assessment

The government will assess your financial situation around your income and assets. The government will then decide based on that assessment how much you are required contribute to the cost of the care you require, if any. The Australian Government subsidises a lot of the costs, but it is possible you will have to pay some of the cost, however, you will never be denied the care you need because you can’t afford it. If you can’t afford to pay for the services you require, the government will cover the costs.

If you’re assessed as not eligible for a home care package, you can access privately funded services through Gratitude In-home Care. Contact us and we can explain how it works and calculate how much privately funded services would cost depending on your needs.

We provide the following services:

Personal care
Palliative care
Overnight & 24-hour care
Respite care
Medication assistance
Nursing services
After hospital care
Companionship
Shopping support and meal preparation
Gardening and home maintenance
Transport support
Assistance with household tasks
Community access

TIPS FOR IMPROVING HOME SAFETY FOR OLDER AUSTRALIANS

It’s important that Australians remain as safe from any hazards that might increase their risk of falls at home. The Royal Commission has recently conducted research into Aged Care Quality and Safety, finding that Australians of all ages would prefer to receive assistance at home so they can live independently for longer during their retirement years rather than enter an aged care facility. These findings are significant, as it was found by The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare that “falls are Australia’s largest contributor to hospitalised injuries and a leading cause of injury deaths and that in 2018–19, 43% of hospitalised injuries and 39% of injury deaths were due to falls (AIWH, 2022).” Falls remain a big issue and Australians are preferring to live at home for as long as they can, so knowing how to stay safe at home is very important.

It’s very common to have many hazards at home which could have the potential to cause falls. We have devised a list of tips that could be used as a checklist.

1. Tape down rugs or remove them from the house if they present a tripping hazard.

2. Cables that run through the house can be a tripping hazard. If it’s necessary to have cables run through the house, tape them to the ground or run them under rugs.

3. Make sure all areas of the house are well lit and replacing light bulbs when they blow. Introduce night lights to help navigate if light switches are not easily accessible in the dark.

4. Make sure the bathroom floor is always dry by wiping floors after having a shower or bath.

5. Introduce textured, no-slip strips in the bathtub and shower.

6. Introducing shower chairs will greatly decrease risk of falling in the shower because you don’t need to balance on one leg when washing your feet, but you do when you don’t have a chair.

7. Put non-skid tape on steps where possible. Bright coloured non-skid tape will also greatly help with visibility.

8. A raised toilet seat is an attachment that raises the height of the toiled making it easier to get up off the toilet, and usually has handles that can be used to push yourself up.

9. Bannisters and railing in bathrooms, steps and hallways make it easier to get around the house and ensure you get around the house safely.

10. De-clutter the house. Make sure walkways are always free of tripping hazards.

11. Don’t wear loose, free flowing clothing when you’re cooking, as it’s possible your clothes can catch on fire.

12. Make sure that the heater isn’t near curtains, clothing, or furniture. And don’t forget to turn them off when you leave the room.

13. Keep medication in the original packaging to avoid taking the wrong medication.

14. Purchase a medication calendar pack so you know you’re taking the right medication every day and night. Get help sorting the medication calendar pack if needed.

15. Keeping personal information confidential to avoid getting scammed.

Gratitude In-Home Care offers a free safety Assessment of the entire home and can organise for any modifications to be done, cleaning and decluttering. GIHC can also help with making sure the correct medication is taken every day and night, as well as providing around the clock care if needed.

Personal care
Palliative care
Overnight & 24-hour care
Respite care
Medication assistance
Nursing services
After hospital care
Companionship
Shopping support and meal preparation
Gardening and home maintenance
Transport support
Assistance with household tasks
Community access

References:
1. Royal Commission Aged Care Royal Commission Final Report Volume 1 – 2020
2. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare: Injury in Australia, Falls – 2021 https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/injury/falls