This is a story shared by a Happy Living client as he wishes to raise awareness of the subsidies available to those in need.
Uncle Zhang, who lives in Melbourne, has always been in good health, however, one day he noticed that the colour of his urine was strange, so decided to go to the GP for a urine test.
Uncle Zhang was later diagnosed with early onset of bladder cancer. Due to early detection and treatment, Uncle Zhang’s condition was well controlled after the operation.
During the process of hospitalisation, recovery, and returning home, Zhang said that he had received amazing care and support from the Australian government.
Due to the support he received, his family did not feel overwhelmed.
Uncle Zhang said that he received the following three subsidies from the government:
What are Flexible Care Services?
When an older person suffers from acute illness, surgery or short-term care services at home or in a nursing home environment (including restorative care, transition from hospital discharge or recovery from accidents or illness), they can receive a flexible care plan.
According to the different needs required as you age, flexible care services consist of 6 components. In this blog we will focus on 2 which are Transition Care and Short-Term Restorative Care (STRC).
Transition care:
After being discharged from the hospital, it takes some time for people to recover, and they need additional care and support.
In some cases, the hospital will provide transition care, but in most cases, patients are sent to a recovery center or nursing home. Depending on the patient’s condition, they might also receive care directly at home.
The transition care plan can offer:
Joint medical services such as physical therapy, foot therapy, nurse services, and also assistance with: nursing support, personal care, personal assistance such as transportation, etc.
Short-Term Restorative Care (STRC):
Short-Term Restorative Care is mainly concerned with the sudden changes in an individual’s health.
Therefore, this service generally assists the older person whos health has suddenly start to decline. STRC provides the elderly with flexible and in-depth care and assistance in the short term (up to 8 weeks), so that they can recover as soon as possible, and reduce their need for long-term care services.
STRC can offer:
Clinical services, personal care, exercise courses, psychological counselling and counselling, assistive equipment (including mobility aids), social work, treatment services and support services, drug management, etc.
How can I apply for a flexible care plan:
There are two ways you can apply for a flexible care plan such as the following:
- Hospital referral – your hospital will assist you in applying.
- You can also directly apply for it by calling My Aged Care on 1800 200 422.
Regarding the cost, it is the government and the client who are required to split the cost.
Generally speaking, if you choose to receive services at home, the client will notice a reduced cost in comparison to residential care. At Happy Living, we provide services at low costs.
In addition to this short-term rehabilitation plan, the government will also provide long-term support plans for home care.
For those that are over 65 years old needing long-term care, they can apply to receive:
- Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP)
- Home Care Packages (HCP)
So how do we distinguish between the federal government’s family support program (referred to as family support) and home care allowance (referred to as allowance).
CHSP is suitable for older people whose primary care needs require low levels of care.
This is generally known as a single service or community service. The fee for this ranges between $9 – $15 each time.
A Home Care Package is suitable for those with complex care needs.
This will benefit many as it allows you to stay at home, living safely and independently.
Can I access these three subsidies at same time ?
It is not possible for the three subsidies to be used at the same time.
A Flexible Care Plan can be used when leaving the hospital.
The Commonwealth Home Support Program can be used for short team care which requires light support.
For long term care, the Home Care Package would be recommended.
However, the CHSP and HCP can be used at the same time during special circumstances.
Happy Living Services
At Happy Living, we provide a range of services to enable older Chinese Australians to live safely in the place the love to call home.
If you would like to learn more about a Home Care Package or the services we provide, feel free to contact our friendly Expert Team on 1300 911 728.
