There are many benefits to staying in your home for as long as possible.To support this, there are lots of different types of home care available.
Your doctor, social worker or carer can help you find out more about different care options, and how to access government subsidies to help offset the costs.
Types of care
- Domestic care: support for shopping, washing, gardening, transport and other activities
- Personal care: support for showering, dressing, getting around the house and other activities
- Companion Care: from popping in for a chat and a cuppa to helping organise social outings and the transport to get there
- Maintenance services for your house, to ensure it’s safe and ergonomic
- Health advice and assessment services for things like for hearing and vision
- Community volunteer services, from meal deliveries to people spending time with you or calling for regular chats on the phone
- Community programs, from arts therapy to sports activities, music and dance
- Nursing care, including wound and medication management, and high-level care.
If you require government assistance to help cover the costs of care, you will first need to register and create a ‘client record’ at the Government’s MyAgedCare site, or by calling 1800 200 422.
Home care venues
There’s one pretty obvious place you can receive home care!
Aside from that, home care can extend into the community. You’re not just in your home all day if you don’t want to be.
Depending on the care services you’ve arranged with your home care provider, out-of-home care could include:
Social outings or shopping
- Therapeutic care, including short-term restorative care
- Centre-based day care, featuring medical care and social activities
- Out of home respite care to give your regular carer a break
Read next: Spending your home care package