What is My Aged Care?

My Aged Care (MAC) is the main entry point to the aged care system in Australia. It was introduced on 1 July 2013 and consists of the My Aged Care website and the My Aged Care contact centre (1800 200 422).

My Aged Care provides information about aged care services to consumers, family members and carers, as well as service providers and health professionals. A suite of changes to My Aged Care was introduced in July 2015, which included the introduction of a central client record to enable the collection and sharing of information between clients, assessors and service providers. Other changes included:

• The introduction of the My Aged Care Regional Assessment Service (RAS) to conduct face-to-face assessments of people seeking entry level support through the Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP)
• Use of the National Screening and Assessment Form (NSAF) by contact centre staff and assessors
• Web-based My Aged Care portals for clients, assessors and service providers

Aged care consumers are encouraged to first call the My Aged Care contact centre for information on the types of services they are eligible to apply for. When a person calls the contact centre, they will be asked for permission to create a personalised client record which will store information about assessments and services they receive. They will also be asked for permission to share the client record in order to prevent the need to repeat information that has already been provided. Contact centre staff will collect information to help direct clients to the most appropriate assessment service.

Different arrangements are currently in place in Western Australia with the continued operation of Home and Community Care (HACC) services. Western Australia signed up to the National Health Reforms earlier this year and the WA HACC programme will transition to the CHSP on 1 July 2018.

How do I become a service provider through My Aged Care?

Occupational therapists work across the broad spectrum of aged care, providing services to home care recipients, people in residential aged care facilities, and people receiving services under the Transition Care and Short-Term Restorative Care programmes.

An approved provider of aged care is an organisation that has been approved to provide residential care, home care or flexible care under the Aged Care Act 1997. An organisation must be an approved provider to receive aged care subsidies from the Australian Government. There are three application forms for organisations seeking to become approved providers:

1. New applicant form – for organisations that are not currently approved providers of aged care
2. Existing approved provider form – for existing providers that are seeking approval to provide another type of care
3. Government organisations form – for state, territory governments and local government authorities to register to provide aged care services

For more information about becoming an approved aged care provider visit the DOH website.

What types of services are available through My Aged Care?

Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP)

The CHSP is an entry level programme for older people who need some help with daily tasks to live independently at home. The CHSP commenced on 1 July 2015. The CHSP combines the following four programmes:

• Commonwealth Home and Community Care (HACC) Programme
• National Respite for Carers Programme (NRCP)
• Day Therapy Centres (DTC) Programme
• Assistance with Care and Housing for the Aged (ACHA) Programme

To be eligible for CHSP services, a person must be aged over 65 (or over 50 for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people). Registration with My Aged Care and a RAS assessment are required to be approved for care. Services available through the CHSP include:

• Community and home support services such as domestic assistance (eg. cleaning, laundry), personal care (eg. help with showering or getting dressed), home maintenance, nursing care and transport assistance
• Food services such as help with making meals and delivering meals to a person’s home
• Allied health support services such as occupational therapy, physiotherapy and speech pathology
• Services for carers such as respite care and counselling are also available through the CHSP.

 

Home Care Packages (HCPs)

Home Care Packages are available to people with more complex care needs who wish to continue living at home. Consumers receive a tailored package of support services to meet their specific care needs. The Home Care Packages Program (HCPP) is positioned between the CHSP and residential aged care. There are four levels of home care packages:

• Home Care Level 1: to support people with basic care needs
• Home Care Level 2: to support people with low level care needs
• Home Care Level 3: to support people with intermediate care needs
• Home Care Level 4: to support people with high level care needs

There are no minimum age requirements to access a home care package. Clients will be referred for an assessment by an Aged Care Assessment Team (ACAT) to determine what services they are eligible for. Services available under a home care package include:

• Personal care, such as assistance with showering and dressing
• Continence management
• Aids and equipment to enhance mobility and dexterity, such as crutches, walking frames and bed rails
• Transport and personal assistance
• Nursing and allied health services, such as occupational therapy, physiotherapy and speech pathology

Home Care Packages are delivered on a Consumer Directed Care (CDC) basis. This means that package recipients and their carers have greater choice and control over the services they receive. As part of this process, clients work with their service provider to develop an individual care plan and agree on the costs of services. They will also decide how involved they want to be in managing their care package.

Once a client has selected a home care provider, they will be given a Home Care Agreement outlining the details of what is included in their package. As part of the Home Care Agreement, service providers work with clients to identify goals and design a care plan. The care plan must be reviewed at least once every 12 months and cannot be changed without the consent of the client. Clients also have the right to request a review of their care plan at any time if their needs change.

Residential Care

ACATs assess whether entering an aged care home would be a suitable option for an older person. Assessors also provide information about aged care homes located in a person’s area, and respite care for those requiring a short stay in an aged care home.

Flexible Care

There are a number of different programmes that fall under the broad heading of ‘flexible care’. These include the Transition Care Programme (TCP) and the Short-Term Restorative Care Programme (STRC). Transition Care is for older people who have had a stay in hospital and would otherwise be eligible for residential care. They must be assessed by an ACAT while they are a hospital in-patient. Transition Care is provided for a maximum of 12 weeks, however it is possible to extend this depending on an individual’s circumstances.

The STRC supports older people to live independently at home by reversing or slowing functional decline. It can be delivered in a range of settings and is available for a maximum of 56 days.

How do I make a complaint about My Aged Care?

There are a number of different ways for service providers and health professionals to make a complaint about any aspect of My Aged Care:

• By visiting the ‘Contact us’ page on the My Aged Care website and selecting ‘Provide feedback, ask a question or make a complaint’
• By calling the My Aged Care contact centre on 1800 200 422
• By contacting the Department of Health via an online form or email
• By contacting the Aged Care Complaints Commissioner on 1800 550 552 or by visiting their website.

How are consumers assessed for aged care services?

First contact with My Aged Care provides information about aged care services and, if requested, commencement of the initial screening process. The National Screening and Assessment Form is used to understand if referral for face-to-face assessments from the RAS (CHSP services) or an ACAT (home care packages) is required. My Aged Care screening may also indicate that direct referral to service providers is the initial requirement.

Regional Assessment Service (RAS)

Home support assessments for entry level aged care are undertaken by assessors from the My Aged Care Regional Assessment Service. The outcome of a home support assessment may include referral to CHSP services.   A local assessor from the RAS will arrange a time to meet with a client at their home. They will ask questions such as what help the client is currently receiving, if they have any health issues, and how well they are able to complete activities around the home. Assessors work with clients to develop a support plan that reflects their aged care needs. They will also work with the client to identify a service provider who is best able to meet these needs.

A Request for Tender was released in October 2014 to select organisations to deliver assessment services as part of the RAS. The 13 organisations chosen to deliver the RAS are: Access Care Network Australia Pty Ltd, Australian Regional and Remote Community Services Limited, Care Assessment Consultants Pty Ltd, Catholic Healthcare Limited, Community Options Australia Incorporated, Feros Care, Health Administration Corporation (HAC), Partners 4 Health Limited, Resthaven Incorporated, Serendipity (WA) Pty Ltd, Suncare Community Services Inc, The Uniting Church in Australia Property Trust (Q.), and UnitingCare Wesley Adelaide Incorporated.

These organisations have engaged over 75 subcontractor organisations, including for-profit service providers, not-for-profit service providers and local councils.

Most regions will operate with between two and four RAS organisations to ensure that there is capacity to deliver timely assessment services.

Aged Care Assessment Teams (ACATs)

• ACATs (ACAS in Victoria) perform comprehensive assessments for clients with more complex care needs who wish to access home care services or are considering moving into an aged care home. ACATs are teams of medical and allied health professionals who assess the physical, psychological, medical, restorative, cultural and social needs of older people.
• An ACAT assessment is required for clients looking to access a home care package, residential care, after-hospital care (transition care), Short-Term Restorative Care or respite care in an aged care home.
• An ACAT assessment can be requested by calling the My Aged Care contact centre or, alternatively, an assessment can be arranged by a doctor, social worker or other health professional. Family members and carers can also make a referral for an ACAT assessment.
• ACAT assessors visit clients at home or in a hospital and discuss their options with regards to aged care services. As with RAS assessments, they ask clients about what activities they require assistance with, what health conditions they are affected by, and provide information about services available in their local area. Clients will then receive a letter advising them of the outcome of their assessment. The letter includes a referral code that an individual’s chosen service provider will use to access their information.

What is the National Screening and Assessment Form (NSAF)?

The NSAF has been designed to support the collection of information for the screening and assessment processes conducted under My Aged Care.

It includes the questions to be asked as part of the screening process undertaken by contact centre staff, home support assessments undertaken by RAS assessors, and comprehensive assessments undertaken by ACATs. The NSAF ensures that a holistic assessment of client needs is undertaken, and that clients do not have to repeatedly provide information.