Personalised Home Care for Older Australians
We provide comprehensive solutions and support to help you reach new heights.
Discover MKARE: Passionate Aged Care Professionals at Your Service
We bring extensive experience, understanding, and expertise in aged care, enabling us to provide tailored health services that help you make the most of every day. Our personalised care plans are designed with you to ensure continuity of care, with the option to transition to residential care homes if your needs change. Our carefully selected, compassionate staff undergo rigorous recruitment to ensure they have the right qualities to connect with and support you in your home.
Let Us Support You in Your Journey
Why Choose Us
Our Commitment to Quality Aged Care Services
Experience, understanding and expertise in aged care
We have experience and with this comes knowledge on how to best care for older people. In providing a suite of health services tailored to your needs so you can make the most of every day.
Continuity of care
We tailor care to suit your needs with a care plan designed with you, for you. Should your circumstances change, you can also apply to access one of our residential care homes.
Experienced and caring staff
We adopt a rigorous recruitment procedure because we understand the importance of sending the right people into your home. Our staffs are selected for their caring nature and ability to connect with you.
Explore Our Wide Range of Home Care Services
Our Home Services
Your health, wellbeing, and lifestyle are important to us. We know that everyone is different and so we offer a broad range of home care services to support you in the best possible way. We have trained, caring care workers who will support you with most services, as well as registered nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, and other health care professionals.
We work with you to develop a comprehensive care plan focused on improving your quality of life. You can choose from a wide range of products and services such as:
Help around the home including light cleaning, changing bed sheets, washing and other day to day tasks. Garden maintenance services are also available.
Meal preparation which can involve a care worker giving you a hand in the kitchen or preparing the whole meal for you.
Pet care if you need a hand walking, feeding or washing your pet.
Transport services whether it be a trip to the shop, appointments or socialising with friends.
Shopping support where a care worker accompanies you to the shops, or shops for you unaccompanied.
Personal care including showering, dressing and grooming.
Respite and social support through our social groups and respite centres. Enjoy stimulating activities and outings in a social setting. If you prefer staying home, our care workers can pop around for a cup of tea and a chat.
Nursing and allied health provision in your home. You’ll have access to a range of health professionals including registered nurses, physiotherapists, exercise physiologists, occupational therapists and podiatrists.
How do I get/access Home Care Services?
Find answers to commonly asked questions about our products and services.
Step 1: Contact My Aged Care
Contact My Aged Care on 1800 200 422 to organise an assessment. The My Aged Care contact centre is open from 8am – 8pm Monday to Friday and from 10am – 2pm Saturday, local time across Australia.
You can nominate a family member or friend to represent you. Alternatively.
We can assist with:
– My Aged Care related questions
– Centrelink related questions
– Understanding letters from My Aged Care and Centrelink including letters regarding Income-tested Care Fee
Step 2: Undergo an assessment
My Aged Care will arrange for an assessor to visit you and review your care needs. The assessment is free of charge and is required in order to be approved for Government subsidised care.
Step 3: Receive the outcome of your assessment
If you are assessed as eligible for a government subsidy, the following will happen:
For a home care package, you will:
– Receive a letter of approval from My Aged Care that sets out the level of home care package you are approved to receive
– Be placed in a national priority queue for home care packages and will be contacted when a suitable package becomes available for you.
If you don’t receive an approval letter explaining your assessment outcome, call My Aged Care and request a copy.
Step 4: Contact Us
Call Helen on 0428777030. We’ll make a time to meet with you to walk you through our services.
Step 5: Develop a care plan and enter a care agreement
Once you are ready to commence your care services, our home care specialists can work with you to set lifestyle goals and create a personalised plan that helps you reach them.
Once your personalised plan is ready, sign a care agreement and start receiving the services you require.
What will it cost?
Your out of pocket, expenses will be determined by the program and the services you access. Under the new aged care reforms, the Australian Government has decided that everyone contributes to the cost of their care where they’re able. Depending on your circumstances, you may pay nothing, or the full cost of the services.
In cases of financial hardship, the fee can be reduced to ensure anyone who needs support can access it.
Still have a question?
If you have any other queries, feel free to reach out to us. Our knowledgeable team is here to help!
Get answers to the most common questions about Home Care.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is home care?
Home care is provided to those generally over 65 who need support to remain independent at home, they encompass a wide ranging and include help around the home, meal preparation, social support, nursing, physiotherapy, shopping support and more.
You have the option of applying for government funding or paying privately. If you are a self-funded or partially self-funded in your retirement, you may have to contribute to the cost of your support. This fee, called an Income Tested Care Fee is determined by the government.
What is a home care package?
A home care package is government funding that you use for home care services or goods and equipment that support your independence at home and in the community. The amount you are funded for through a home care package depends on the level of home care package you are assigned. There are four levels and level 1 is basic support, going all the way up to a level 4 which for those with high care needs.
How can I get home care?
If you would like government-funded services and in need of support to remain in your home, the first step is to contact My Aged Care. They will help organise an assessment for you at no cost to you. If you’d like guidance on the My Aged Care process you can contact Anglicare on 1300 111 278.
How to get home care referrals?
The first step is to contact My Aged Care on 1800 200 422. If you need support with this process, contact Helen on 0428777030.
Who is eligible for a home care package?
To be eligible for the Home Care Package program, you need to be:
– An older person in need of services to help you stay in your home
– A younger person with dementia or other special care needs that are not met through other specialist services
– Approved through My Aged Care
How much is a home care package?
There are four levels of care and funding.
Level 1 supports with a basic level of support and is valued at approximately $9,000 per year
Level 2 will fund you for $15,750 worth of services
Level 3 gives you $34,250 worth of services
Level 4 home care package, you receive approximately $52,000 worth of care per year
Can home care packages be self-managed?
We offer you the option to self-manage your home care package. Self-management enables you to select your own care workers, times and days of service, and source suitable products and equipment to enable you to stay living independently at home.
What services can I spend my Home Care Package on?
You can spend your Home Care Package on a range of goods and services that support your independence at home and in the community. These include services such as cleaning, shopping, meal preparation, social groups and respite. Goods include continence products, equipment to assist with socialisation and connection such as an iPad, shower stool, adjustable bed and other mobility and support aids.
How much is private home care?
Extra services can be offered outlines the cost of services under a private arrangement. This means that you pay for these services out-of-pocket and are not supported with any type of government funding.
What is in-home respite care?
In-home respite care is where a care worker stays with the person for which you are caring, in their home, while you take a break. It is available under the government funded Commonwealth Home Support Program as well as the Home Care Package Program. You can also pay for respite care privately.
Can a home care package pay for respite?
Yes, it can. We offer in-home respite where our home care worker supports the client in their home while the carer takes a break. The Sanctuary offers short-term overnight accommodation allowing the carer a longer period of respite.
Does Medicare cover home care services?
No Medicare does not cover home care services. If you have not been assigned a Home Care Package or approved for Government-funding under the Commonwealth Home Support Program, you may pay for services yourself.
Unpacking Home Care Fees
Time and time again, we hear that the process of searching for a home care provider can be quite a challenge. Costs and the terms used to describe costs can vary from one provider to another. For this reason, the Government has asked home care providers to publish their pricing information in a new standardised pricing comparability schedule on the My Aged Care Service Finder.
Some aspects of home care pricing may be more confusing than others, so we thought we would give you a run down. Here are some fees you should be aware of:
1. The Basic Daily Fee
Costs about $140 per fortnight (out-of-pocket) and is used to purchase additional hours of care. Not all providers charge this fee.
2. Establishment and exit fees
These are fees to set up your services and transfer your package to another provider. There’s a lot of work that goes on in the background when transferring packages. The exit fee ensures a swift process.
When shopping for a provider, make a note to ask them:
how long they take to release the package to the new provider, should you decide to switch. A provider may not charge the fee but take weeks if not months to transfer you. All the while you will pay them ongoing fees.
We don’t charge an establishment fee but we do charge an exit fee of $450 which always comes out of the home care package and never out-of-pocket. If you don’t have funds remaining in your home care package, we won’t charge the fee.
3. Product bundle offers
Some providers offer you ‘off-the-shelf’ service bundles and while this may appear to be less complicated and offer you more value, in many cases it can mean that you pay for services you don’t actually use.
Providers who offer service bundles will often charge you the same, whether you use a portion, or all of the services in the bundle. It’s something to be aware of when you are selecting a provider. If your provider offers service bundles, you may want to check what you’ll pay if you don’t use all of the services, or if you are on hospital or social leave.
At Anglicare, we tailor your package to suit your needs. In consultation with you, we will develop a care plan that suits you, and you will pay for what you use.
4. Hourly rate
The hourly rate charged by providers can vary considerably. It can range from $35 to $110 and more.
In the case of care worker hourly rates, the variance is largely due to the structure under which the staff are hired. Some providers hire care workers under a self-employment structure where they encourage them to set their own hourly rate and work under an ABN. Under a self-employment structure, the provider does not pay superannuation, annual leave, sick leave, travel expenses, phone expenses, penalty rates, and many other benefits. In addition, the care worker is normally expected to pay a provider’s commission of about 5%.
The hourly rate can also vary from one service to another, so it’s important to look at all the services you need, to determine the total cost.
We offer our care workers above award wages, secure employment, and all the benefits listed above as well as ongoing, extensive training. We care for those who care for you, and when it comes to your health and well-being, it pays to consider the quality of care offered, not just the hourly rate.
What are the different services available for older Australians living at home ?
Many older Australians want to live in their home for as long as possible. Some stay because of the happy memories and proximity to family. Others want to live at home for ease of access to community amenities. Whatever the reason.
Home care options available in Greater Sydney and the Illawarra
General support
This home care service is focused on your wellbeing and taking the stress out of performing day-to-day household chores. As you get older it can become difficult to perform the same tasks like you used to. This is especially true of individuals who own a large home. The space that may have been perfect for your family as your children grew up might now seem too big to manage.
Personal care duties are performed by qualified and compassionate care professionals. Caregivers can help with the following tasks as examples:
– Driving, shopping, and getting you out and about
– Showering, grooming and dressing
– Meal planning and preparation
– Household cleaning
– Socialising and lifestyle guidance
Home care workers can give you a hand with cooking and other household tasks.
Your home care professional isn’t just restricted to a single type of task either – imagine them as another connection in your support network as you grow older. They are there to help you with vital responsibilities around the home. They are also there to lend a kind ear if you need it.
Respite care
If you require ongoing support while living at home, your own caregiver could use home care services to take a break. Here a care worker will cover the responsibilities of your regular carer for a specific period of time.
Nursing and palliative care
Nursing doesn’t necessarily mean a trip to the hospital or health clinic. Home care services offer the chance for a medical professional to come to your home on a regular basis and help to manage ongoing health issues. This includes medication, post-operative care and care for specific injuries or illnesses. You can access these services on an infrequent or regular basis depending on your needs and budget.
In home services also extend to palliative and end of life care for those who want to remain in their home in comfort for as long as possible.
Dementia care
Dementia can be challenging for the person living with the condition as well as their carer, but it’s important to know that dementia support is there for those who need it.
Sensitive nurses and care workers can come to your home to provide assistance with meal preparation, household tasks, medication management and a range of other tasks. Our care workers follow Anglicare’s ‘Rhythm of Life’ principles, which guide our staff to provide support and holistic care to meet the individual needs of each person, while encouraging independence.
Registered nurses and care workers can help with dementia care in your own home.
The different cost packages and support
Once you’ve decided on the type of home care that suits you, securing a place in an in-home program is your next step. Here are a few of the support programs available:
Home Care Package Program
A Home Care Package offers the client flexibility and freedom to develop a care plan that suits their lifestyle and needs. Home Care Packages offer care services for everything from help with a weekly grocery shop to complex ongoing nursing or dementia care requirements. Accessing this program requires a comprehensive assessment with a member of the Aged Care Assessment Team, who will determine whether you are eligible for a package, and the extent of your care needs on a scale:
Those who access Home Care Packages may be required to pay a Basic Daily Fee of 17.5 per cent daily fee of the single age pension basic rate (currently a maximum of $147.56 per fortnight according to the Department of Human Services).
You will also be means tested by Centrelink to determine if you need to pay an income-tested care fee. The fee varies based on yearly income and those on a full pension are normally not required to pay it.
Contact Us
Please contact us for any enquires. One of our friendly staff will be happy to help you.
Ready to Experience Exceptional Aged Care?
Contact us today to learn how we can support you or your loved ones.