Case Study: “My parents’ capabilities have reduced during Covid”
Upon returning from Christmas with his family, a friend of mine reached out to discuss the next steps he thought he should initiate for his parents, interstate.
He had been shocked how their mobility and savviness had regressed since he last saw them: ‘pre-Covid’.
I was privileged to hear of his love for his parents, and how they themselves have essentially been Carers – to others- their whole lives.
Now that their capabilities have reduced somewhat, my friend asked me how to approach ‘moving into a Residential Aged Care Facility’ (Nursing Home).
His Dad seemed open to the idea of accepting personal care from someone outside his family; his stepmother was not.
I asked quite a few questions regarding their current accommodation; their lifestyle and capability to perform most daily tasks. They live in an Independent Living Unit and have some support services available to them, such as Meals on Wheels – which they haven’t engaged and linen services.
In the end, I surprised my friend by advising that they probably don’t need to move anywhere – and certainly not yet.
I advised that before initiating a conversation with his parents about moving into higher-care facility, they could choose to engage some domestic and personal care from an In-home Care Provider.
There are many Aged Care providers in every city and throughout regional Australia who specialise in delivering tailored domestic and personal care for your loved ones in their own home.
Ultimately, every Australian can choose to accept care into their own home as often as they wish and for as long as they wish.
Care can be organised from as little as 2 hours a week through to 24 hours a day, 7 days a week or live-in models of care.
The Australian Government offers two programs to assist families to access some care at home.
The Commonwealth Home Services Program (CHSP) and the Home Care Package Program (HCP).
You can find several relevant articles on my blog, here and here and ultimately you will find all the (governmental hyperbole) at the website: www.MyAgedCare.gov.au
Naturally, in-home care can be provided privately, without having to ‘jump through the hoops’ of the government’s My Aged Care programs.
IF you find navigating the government subsidies overwhelming ( as many, many families do) contact me to arrange a time to discuss your loved-ones’ needs
We can walk through the website, apply for an ACAT assessment and discuss the differences between the CHSP and HCP programs.
If and when you feel it’s time to discuss some higher-level care for your family member or friend, we can strategise on how to best approach this conversation and start the ball rolling, to find an available place in a Residential Aged Care Facility/Nursing Home.
