What is a Home Care Package?

by Aaron Delaporte on May 2, 2019

What is a Home Care Package?

CPE Group is a privately owned, proudly WA-based company providing healthcare services throughout the community since 1998. We are pleased to have partnered with Bowls WA to provide members with information about Government funded home care services, through a series of articles available in the Jack Hi Magazine and on the Bowls WA website.

In this, our second article, we’ll be helping to answer the question ‘What is a Home Care Package?’

In short, a Home Care Package (“HCP”) is a tailored selection of personal care services, support services and clinical care created for an individual to support them to live independently in their own home for as long as possible.

Home Care Packages are available in four levels, designed to meet different needs: level one is designed for those with lower care needs, while level 4 is for those individuals with high care needs. The Federal Government heavily subsidises the cost of in-home care for people with a Home Care Package in place; financial subsidies for the four care levels range from $8,250 per annum up to $50,250 per annum.

Establishing a Home Care Package can take different paths for different people. In some cases, people who already receive services through the Federal Government’s Commonwealth Home Support Programme (“CHSP”) will be assessed for a Home Care Package; in other cases, a Home Care Package is established without any other services already in place.

To determine eligibility for a Home Care Package, contact the Federal Government’s My Aged Care line on 1800 200 422.

When calling My Aged Care, it is important that you have the Medicare number of the person seeking a Home Care Package on hand. The My Aged Care team will ask a series of questions to better understand the level of care required, including:

Any support currently being provided
Health concerns
Problems managing activities at home
Safety at home

Based on the answers provided, My Aged Care will advise whether an assessment by an Aged Care Assessment Team (“ACAT”) is required to determine eligibility for a Home Care Package. If required this assessment will take place at home, and the ACAT assessor will likely wish to learn more about a range of things including:

What support is already in place and whether it is ongoing
Questions about health and lifestyle, including health concerns
If there are challenges completing daily tasks and activities at home
If memory is a concern
If there are concerns around issues relating to home and personal safety
The degree of family and community engagement currently available

Following the assessment, if eligibility for a Home Care Package is confirmed, the assessment team will then determine what level of care is more appropriate; they will advise these outcomes in writing.

Individuals approved for a Home Care Package are placed on a national queue until the funding for their package becomes available and is assigned to them. Those receiving funding will be notified prior to the funding becoming available, to allow sufficient time for an approved service provider to be chosen.

We hope that this introduction to the Home Care Package programme has been helpful. In future articles we will provide more information on how to choose an approved provider, what services are available and how partly or fully self-funded retirees can still benefit from Home Care Package subsidies despite possibly having to make an income tested co-contribution.

In the meantime, for more information about Home Care Packages or other care services, to suggest a topic for an upcoming article or if you have any other questions, please contact us: