Carer Arrangements and Carer Issues:
Who is a carer?
A carer is a person who provides regular and ongoing care and assistance to a dependent person. Often, a carer is a family member, partner, friend or neighbour who freely and willingly provides this support without payment.
A carer may give care for a few hours a week or all day every day, depending on the level of support needed. Care could be provided within the person’s home, a residential aged care home or at your home.
Carers, Yes YOU :-) play an important role in supporting people as they age and lose functional abilities. Supporting YOU will generally improve how you are able to care the the person and reduce their needs for support from the external service system.
“Stress has a huge emotional cost to the carer. It builds up and very quietly drags the carer down. They go through a stress of grief, a sense of loss, frustration, and even failure at recognising their inability to achieve anything for the person that they’re caring for, that they can’t cure or restore the health or the normality of the person for whom they are caring” says Mr Laity.
https://www.agedcareguide.com.au/talking-aged-care/royal-commission-funding-for-carer-support-essential
01 August 2019
High Priority is defined as: Client is considered at urgent and immediate risk in terms of their personal safety or at immediate risk of admission into residential care. The client may have a carer and the carer arrangements are unsustainable or the carer is at crisis point.
https://www.health.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/2019/12/acat-guidance-for-home-care-package-high-priority.pdf
Are YOU a male carer? And Yes, this is an extraordinarily difficult job. Click here for some practical clues, then go here for that All Important Men's Sheds to potter, fix tools, make things, meet with mates about the football and the issues of life. Men generally have difficulty discussing issues with isolation, loneliness and depression - all of which can churn from retirement, illness or relationship breakdowns. Being part of their peer group and keeping active and busy helps men cope with these problems. Men Need to connect with their mates.
Print Resources Different people have different needs for information at different times during an illness. Patients will also have different needs from their carers. To support these different needs the following list of resources has been compiled based around topics relevant to patients and their carers. The source of the information is included, note that some information is from outside Australia.
https://www.caresearch.com.au/caresearch
There is a National Carer Gateway for ALL Carers, regardless of your age, and even if your loved one is on the NDIS... Click here for more info.
Guiding you through the Carer Payment and Carer Allowance claim process
15 January 2021
By answering a few questions we can guide you through the steps to claim Carer Payment and Carer Allowance.
for Carers Payments and services if you provide care for someone with a severe disability, illness or a frail and aged adult.
Go to https://www.humanservices.gov.au/individuals/carers
This site has been Extraordinarily well thought out. Go in and just click on whatever information/services you are looking for... This is just a small sample of the content.
Questions for carers to ask the team caring for your loved one
Some of the questions found here may not be relevant to the stage of care of your friend or family member. But it is always good to clarify and ask any questions of the team caring for your loved one that you may have. No question is ever a wrong question, and your health care provider will always aim to answer all the questions you may have.
Taking care of the CARERS!!!
https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/dementia-taking-care-of-carers?viewAsPdf=true
Summary:
The physical and emotional demands of caring for someone with dementia can be high. As the amount of care that is needed increases, more time and energy is required from the carer. If you are caring for a person with dementia, you need to look after yourself or the demands may wear you down.
If you are worn down, caring will become even more difficult and it will not be easy to continue balancing your own needs as a carer with those of family and the person with dementia. You need support and assistance to care for someone with dementia.
Carers - who are separated from their care receivers due to cornonavirus, you can use 63 respite days without your payments stopping. If you run out of respite days, you can call the carers line on 132 717.
Find out all the info here: https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/individuals/subjects/affected-coronavirus-covid-19/if-you-already-get-payment-from-us-coronavirus-covid-19/carers-coronavirus-covid-19
06 April 2020
Increasingly, older people in Australia are choosing to remain living in their own homes for as long as possible.
https://agedcare.royalcommission.gov.au/publications/Documents/background-paper-6.pdf
While not everyone has family members and friends to support them, many older Australians benefit from carers who provide assistance of various forms, ranging from help with domestic work through to personal and health care needs. Caring is often associated with a pre-existing relationship, and can be a positive and rewarding experience for both the person needing care and the carer. Caring can also change the nature of that relationship, and it can become a source of financial, emotional, social and physical strain.
26 July 2019
New services for carers
https://www.carergateway.gov.au/
The Australian Government is rolling out a range of new early-intervention services and support for carers in late 2019. Getting help early can make a big difference to a carer’s life. These new services can help you to reduce stress, improve wellbeing and get the support you need before reaching crisis point.
These new services can help you to reduce stress, improve wellbeing and get the support you need before reaching crisis point.
The individual’s coping style to psychosocial stress impacts the stress-induced pathological changes and the risk of psychological disorders such as depression.
For an in-depth understanding of Mental Health topics - A - Z.
Download booklet Beyond Blue’s 'A guide to what works for anxiety'
Conscious Mind quotes: https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=CONSCIOUS+MIND+QUOTES&qpvt=CONSCIOUS+MIND+QUOTES&FORM=IGRE
7 Carer Coping Skills and Planning tips for those Special Occasions
Those Special Occasions/Celebrations are a challenging time for Carers, for many it can be overwhelming, stressful with mixed emotions such as anxiety, love and sadness. Some family members that you don’t often see may find it difficult to understand the complexities of a mental illness, which could lead to loved ones feeling rejected.
= - = - = - = - = - = - = - = - = - = - = - =
Guiding you through the Carer Payment and Carer Allowance claim process
6 September 2021
By answering a few questions we can guide you through the steps to claim Carer Payment and Carer Allowance.
Carer Payment provides income support for Australians who provide full-time care for another person. It’s important to note that when applying for Carer Payment, both the carer and the person receiving care must satisfy certain eligibility criteria.
Before you start using the guides, please check that you’re eligible to claim Carer Payment and Carer Allowance.
If you’re eligible to make a claim, complete our: Answer the questions in the guide for your situation. We’ll ask you questions like:
If you’re not eligible to claim a payment for carers, use our Payment and Service Finder to see if there’s another payment for your situation.
Next steps: Read more news for Carers.
Page last updated: 15 January 2021
******************************************************************************
YOU do not have to do this all by Yourself. There IS help. The first thing to do is 'Just Ask'. Call 1800 422 737. It's OK. It's Not your fault.
Sometimes it 'Just IS'. https://www.myagedcare.gov.au/caring-someone
Since April 2020, the full suite of services has been available using a network of Carer Gateway regional service providers.
Wellways is the lead agency in the delivery of the new carer services in Queensland and the NSW areas of South West Sydney and Nepean Blue Mountains and supported by our consortia partners Dementia Australia, Little Dreamers, North-West Rural Health and Selectability.
New services available:
Should YOU feel the need, National Carer Counselling Program provides counselling and related emotional support services to carers.
--------------
There are Carer Support Groups in Your Area:
Angels Carer Support Group. Held the last Tuesday of each month at St. Paul's Anglican Church Hall, 69 Palm Beach Ave, PALM BEACH -
Come just after 1.00pm for that cuppa and a chat. Often we have Speakers on subjects of interest to us as Carers - they start about 1.00pm and go to about 3.00pm. Other times we just sit, relax and enjoy each other's company and support each other as we face the daily caregiving tasks. Sit and chat, and take a brief break - for YOU :-) We hold our meetings on the last Tuesday of each month. Father Phillip is a Great Supporter of the Angels.
YOU are most welcome to join us :-) Do take CARE of YOU too...
and to find out what else is going on in the Palm Beach area: http://palmbeachgoldcoast.net.au/events/
===========================================
Take just yesterday. You had inadvertently slept in because you were Totally Exhausted having spent part of the night changing the bed, soothing your loved one's anxieties, guiding them to the bathroom - again, cleaning up the spillage, and then soothing and tucking them into bed... What is truly Scary, is that this has almost become the norm - almost Every night. Someone you know had suggested that you get in help - like from a Provider, but it doesn't seem to you that it is needed - not just yet anyway. Please reconsider... e.g. It takes time to ring MyAgedCare on 1800 200 422 (over 65 years of age), get all the information together and answer All those questions over the phone. Then there is the RAS who come into your home and ask you More questions and fill in yet More forms. Does your loved one have an ACAT?
A What??? This needs to be arranged (you can ask your GP to help if you like), otherwise it can be arranged for you by the MyAgedCare team. An appointment will be made with an ACAT (Aged Care Assessment Team) member who will visit you in your home and determine what level of care would best suit your loved one. This alone may take a few months as they can get quite busy... In the meantime you will have needed to gather up all your financial information and answer even more questions - to determine if your loved one can contribute $ toward their care. And so it goes... Probably best to get started now, even if it does seem to you to be 'Too Early'.
In the meantime, have a look around and learn what's available in your own community
If your health fails, who looks after your loved one? I know that we Carers are good; BUT lack of sleep and less time for YOU, takes its toll... I know this sounds trite, but YOU need to eat well. Stress and Depression can take their toll on your health too!
And here is a handy List of Contacts ... and remember, there IS Help when YOU have to go into hospital. Watch video Caring for the Caregiver.
Need additional support?
When you ring My Aged Care for that added support, you may also be asked as part of the assessment of the person you are caring for. For the over 65 years, this will be the MyAgedCare site. Under 65 years? Speak with your Provider :-)
If a client needs a carer to continue to live in the community and has a Carer, part of an effective assessment of their (client's) situation is to examine the sustainability of the caring situation. This assessment will determine whether the person needs a Carer using these responses:
Only if the person needs a carer (ie the first two responses), is a question asked about whether there is a carer. When the person needs a carer and has a carer, a separate carer profile assessment is triggered.
The carer profile identifies current carer supports, needs and threats to the carer relationship, and asks the assessor to make a judgement about whether current care arrangements are sustainable without additional services or support. This judgement is used in the Urgency Rating algorithm and can help the assessor in deciding whether to refer the carer for a more detailed assessment to support their caring role (eg. at a Carer Respite Centre).
Many carers are themselves ageing and becoming frailer. The care profile asks the assessor to judge whether the carer themselves needs an assessment as a care recipient. It is estimated that in approximately 20% of cases (Samsa et al., 2009), an assessment of the carer as a care recipient in their own right is required. If the assessor makes this judgement, the carer should be referred to complete an assessment as a care recipient.
A Day in the Life of a Caregiver - shows it how it is... We just, 'do it'.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bs_7jWqSeIM
The care applicant may themselves be a carer of another person, eg. a parent, a child or a partner. There is a trigger question seeking this information. If so, the Care Recipient as Carer Profile is triggered. This Profile specifically asks whether the person being cared for is a person with disabilities, as this raises different issued about the care applicant's caring role. This may entail a referral to disability services to assess the needs of the person being cared for. This Profile requires the assessor to judge whether the care applicant need to be assessed as a carer as well.
9. Centre for Health Service Development, University of Wollongong, p38.
-----------------------------------
High Priority is defined as: Client is considered at urgent and immediate risk in terms of their personal safety or at immediate risk of admission into residential care. The client may have a carer and the carer arrangements are unsustainable or the carer is at crisis point.
https://www.health.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/2019/12/acat-guidance-for-home-care-package-high-priority.pdf
Alternative route to accessing My Aged Care
Older Australians about to start their aged care services journey can now apply for an ACAT - aged care assessment through the My Aged Care website.
30 January 2020 by Liz Alderslade
People will be able to access a new online form to register for their first assessment on the My Aged Care website. [Source: Shutterstock] People will be able to access a new online form to register for their first assessment and can be completed in their own time as an alternative to calling the My Aged Care contact centre.
The Federal Government is aiming to improve the functionality of the My Aged Care website with this additional contact form.
A family member, friend or carer can help an older person manage the online application, or someone can do it on their behalf, however, they will need to be registered as your representative on My Aged Care.
To register a regular representative, you can either call My Aged Care, ask an assessor at your face-to-face assessment, or fill out the Appointment of a Representative Form available on the My Aged Care website here.
All Guides to Aged Care - just click on what YOU want to know NOW:-
https://www.agedcareguide.com.au/information/all
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
No privatised aged care watchdog: minister
By: AAP in News, Top Stories March 5, 2020
The federal aged care minister says states and territories would be responsible for proposed aged care assessment teams.
There has been speculation the government was looking to privatise the watchdog, but Richard Colbeck has told a Senate estimates hearing the teams would be run by governments and “not anyone outside that process”. “My understanding is the service will effectively be provided by the states and territories,” he told the hearing in Canberra on Wednesday. An interim report by the aged care royal commission recommended merging Regional Assessment Services and Aged Care Assessment Teams to deliver consistent decisions for older Australians.
In January the commission was forced to distance itself from Senator Colbeck’s comment that privatising the teams was their idea. He said states and territories would have the best healthcare staff on hand to run and oversee the process. The government announced last year it would merge two separate organisations that assessed what aged care services a person was eligible for. Senator Colbeck said on Wednesday this process would mean negotiations with states and territories to form the new national body.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
If you’ve had a face-to-face assessment in the past, there may come a time when you need to be reassessed.
The assessment you had would have been based on the needs that you had at that time. However, circumstances can change.
You may find that since your last assessment, your needs have changed. Perhaps some other daily tasks have become more difficult for you.
https://www.myagedcare.gov.au/assessment
If you’ve had a look to see what services might be available and you want to know more about how to apply and what’s involved in the assessment process, this section is for you.
The first stage is to find out if you are eligible for subsidised aged care. This involves a two-part assessment process that understands your needs and what services could help you. It starts with a simple phone call followed by an in-person assessment.
The first step to access government-funded aged care services is to call My Aged Care on 1800 200 422.
Our friendly and knowledgeable contact centre staff will talk with you about your needs and circumstances. If we think My Aged Care services can help, we’ll refer you for a face-to-face assessment.
All our staff are trained to talk to people in a range of situations and are ready to answer your questions to help find the best options for you.
What happens on the call?
Our priority is getting you the help you need. To do this, we’ll ask about:
We can keep a record of this discussion, so you won’t have to provide the same information again at your assessment.
Who can support me?
A family member, friend, or carer can be with you during the call. With your permission, they can also talk on your behalf.
If you want someone to speak and act on your behalf on an ongoing basis, you can appoint them as your representative with My Aged Care. This will allow My Aged Care to talk to them about your aged care.
If you’re receiving a comprehensive assessment for some services such as residential care, home care, and flexible care, the assessor will ask you to complete an Application for Care Form.
What happens after I call?
With the information you give us, we’ll let you know if you are eligible for a face-to-face assessment. A face-to-face assessment can determine exactly what you need, and can even let you know about services you may not have thought about.
How should I prepare for my assessment?
https://www.myagedcare.gov.au/assessment/prepare-your-assessment
For any face-to-face assessment, you should have:
There may be a form to fill out
If you’re receiving a comprehensive assessment for some services such as residential care, home care, and flexible care, the assessor will ask you to complete an Application for Care Form.
Your assessor will talk to you about your needs
The assessor will have a copy of the information you gave to the My Aged Care contact centre. This gives them an idea of what support you might need to help you return to, or keep the level of independence needed to manage your day-to-day life. They’ll also ask about:
Your assessor will work with you to develop your support plan
The support plan records what you discussed and agreed during your assessment such as:
Questions to ask the assessor
You may also like to prepare any questions that you have, for example:
Can I have someone with me?
Yes. You never have to be alone in this process. If you choose, a family member, friend or carer can be with you during your assessment.
An ACAT assessment and approval is required before people can access residential aged care, Community Aged Care Packages or Extended Aged Care at Home packages. Assessment teams are located around Australia and are usually based at a hospital, geriatric centre or community centre and can see people in their own home or in hospital.
ACATs help older people and their carers work out what kind of care will best meet their needs when they are no longer able to manage at home without assistance. ACATs provide information on suitable care options and can help arrange access or referral to appropriate residential or home care services (including HACC, Short Term Restorative Care and Transition Care). An ACAT assessment and approval is required before people can access residential aged care or a home care package.
FIND A SERVICE THAT SUPPORTS BOTH OF YOU
Respite will work most effectively if you can find a service that both the person with dementia and carer find attractive and valuable. In some cases, especially in more advanced cases of dementia, involving the person with dementia in all of the decisions and planning may not be possible. In this case, carers will need to advocate for the type of services they think will work for both parties.
It will be important to reassure people with dementia if they are anxious that respite may in fact be a positive experience that provides them with opportunities to engage with others and participate in meaningful activities. “He goes to the Men’s Shed, two mornings a week and from here he can walk to the Men’s Shed. He walks down and at lunch time, one of the other people who live in the village bring him home. He needs to be in respite where he can take part in the activities and be able to chat to people and socialise.”
(Carer, husband is living with dementia aged 74 years)
https://www.dementia.org.au/files/NATIONAL/documents/Flexible-Respite%20Brochure-Consumers.pdf
21 January 2021
The Government will be going out to tender this year to both the private sector and current industry organisations to fill a single Aged Care Assessment Team/Service (ACAT/S) force, which will be implemented in April 2021.
by Liz Alderslade 21 January 2020
The Government says the aim of the change to the ACAT/S arrangement is to help older Australians receive the services they require sooner. [Source: Shutterstock]
In late December, the Federal Government announced they will be amalgamating the ACAT/S with the Regional Assessment Service (RAS), to streamline consumer assessments and access to aged care pathways. This decision has followed a legislated review of the aged care system by David Tune in 2016-2017, suggesting that the ACAT/S and RAS needed to become a single assessment system, which received principal support from the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety.
The Government says the aim of the change to the ACAT/S arrangement is to help older Australians receive the services they require sooner.
You will also need to be assessed by an Aged Care Assessment Team (ACAT) Phone 1300 130 143 to find out if you are Level 1, Level 2, Level 3 or Level 4.
https://www.myagedcare.gov.au/assessment
Who is a carer?
A carer is a person who provides regular and ongoing care and assistance to a dependent person. Often, a carer is a family member, partner, friend or neighbour who freely and willingly provides this support without payment.
A carer may give care for a few hours a week or all day every day, depending on the level of support needed. Care could be provided within the person’s home, a residential aged care home or at your home.
- This includes All Carers e.g. a child who cares for/is involved in caring for, a sibling or an adult parent or relative – they will be helped to have flexible learning and exams… to take account of their Caring role.
- A young Carer up to 25 years of age who needs flexibility to finish schooling; and who then needs help and training to get that job. They will be helped all along the way.
- The Carer who looks after someone who is on the NDIS will be supported to learn those practical physical skills that are needed to look after their person. They will also be helped to attain their education and employment training.
- Support Carers of children and young people, who are at risk of developing a mental illness. Services will include counselling, support to attend school and to improve relationships with family and friends.
- Parents caring for their child beyond their usual parenting role.
- An adult caring for other adults - who are looking after a frail, elderly person or their spouse or partner; an adult son or daughter caring for elderly parents; or a neighbour providing ongoing support; will be supported to train, and enter into the workforce.
- Support for those Carers who look after someone who falls outside of the scope of reforms to disability, mental health, aged care and health services.
- Those Carers who are in remote or outback areas where there are less opportunities to work and participate in everyday activities.
- Support for when the Carers caring role changes e.g. when they temporarily move out of caring and when their role ends.
- Improved respite and information services for Carers of people who have a severe or profound disability in need of supported accommodation or respite and who may have ageing Carers.
- Provide specific opportunities for Carers to have fun, to socialize and relax.
- Carers to learn how to cope and manage Stress. Making Carers a priority in the Access to Allied Psychological Services program which enables general practitioners to refer patients to allied health professionals for psychological services.
- Caring can also lead to the loss of social networks and social isolation. It is important for everyone to provide opportunities and supports for Carers to participate in family, community and social life.
- Locally-based peer support groups a priority.
Carers, Yes YOU :-) play an important role in supporting people as they age and lose functional abilities. Supporting YOU will generally improve how you are able to care the the person and reduce their needs for support from the external service system.
“Stress has a huge emotional cost to the carer. It builds up and very quietly drags the carer down. They go through a stress of grief, a sense of loss, frustration, and even failure at recognising their inability to achieve anything for the person that they’re caring for, that they can’t cure or restore the health or the normality of the person for whom they are caring” says Mr Laity.
https://www.agedcareguide.com.au/talking-aged-care/royal-commission-funding-for-carer-support-essential
01 August 2019
High Priority is defined as: Client is considered at urgent and immediate risk in terms of their personal safety or at immediate risk of admission into residential care. The client may have a carer and the carer arrangements are unsustainable or the carer is at crisis point.
https://www.health.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/2019/12/acat-guidance-for-home-care-package-high-priority.pdf
Are YOU a male carer? And Yes, this is an extraordinarily difficult job. Click here for some practical clues, then go here for that All Important Men's Sheds to potter, fix tools, make things, meet with mates about the football and the issues of life. Men generally have difficulty discussing issues with isolation, loneliness and depression - all of which can churn from retirement, illness or relationship breakdowns. Being part of their peer group and keeping active and busy helps men cope with these problems. Men Need to connect with their mates.
Print Resources Different people have different needs for information at different times during an illness. Patients will also have different needs from their carers. To support these different needs the following list of resources has been compiled based around topics relevant to patients and their carers. The source of the information is included, note that some information is from outside Australia.
https://www.caresearch.com.au/caresearch
There is a National Carer Gateway for ALL Carers, regardless of your age, and even if your loved one is on the NDIS... Click here for more info.
Guiding you through the Carer Payment and Carer Allowance claim process
15 January 2021
By answering a few questions we can guide you through the steps to claim Carer Payment and Carer Allowance.
for Carers Payments and services if you provide care for someone with a severe disability, illness or a frail and aged adult.
Go to https://www.humanservices.gov.au/individuals/carers
This site has been Extraordinarily well thought out. Go in and just click on whatever information/services you are looking for... This is just a small sample of the content.
- Disability and carers
- Education
- Employment
- Family and domestic violence
- Health
- Housing
- Legal services
- Mental health
- Money
- Older Australians
- Raising Children
- Relationships
- Separated parents
- Travelling
- and SO much more... someone has Actually Thought about what we Carers Need to know; and how to do it quickly and precisely.
Questions for carers to ask the team caring for your loved one
Some of the questions found here may not be relevant to the stage of care of your friend or family member. But it is always good to clarify and ask any questions of the team caring for your loved one that you may have. No question is ever a wrong question, and your health care provider will always aim to answer all the questions you may have.
Taking care of the CARERS!!!
https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/dementia-taking-care-of-carers?viewAsPdf=true
Summary:
The physical and emotional demands of caring for someone with dementia can be high. As the amount of care that is needed increases, more time and energy is required from the carer. If you are caring for a person with dementia, you need to look after yourself or the demands may wear you down.
If you are worn down, caring will become even more difficult and it will not be easy to continue balancing your own needs as a carer with those of family and the person with dementia. You need support and assistance to care for someone with dementia.
Carers - who are separated from their care receivers due to cornonavirus, you can use 63 respite days without your payments stopping. If you run out of respite days, you can call the carers line on 132 717.
Find out all the info here: https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/individuals/subjects/affected-coronavirus-covid-19/if-you-already-get-payment-from-us-coronavirus-covid-19/carers-coronavirus-covid-19
06 April 2020
Increasingly, older people in Australia are choosing to remain living in their own homes for as long as possible.
https://agedcare.royalcommission.gov.au/publications/Documents/background-paper-6.pdf
While not everyone has family members and friends to support them, many older Australians benefit from carers who provide assistance of various forms, ranging from help with domestic work through to personal and health care needs. Caring is often associated with a pre-existing relationship, and can be a positive and rewarding experience for both the person needing care and the carer. Caring can also change the nature of that relationship, and it can become a source of financial, emotional, social and physical strain.
26 July 2019
New services for carers
https://www.carergateway.gov.au/
The Australian Government is rolling out a range of new early-intervention services and support for carers in late 2019. Getting help early can make a big difference to a carer’s life. These new services can help you to reduce stress, improve wellbeing and get the support you need before reaching crisis point.
These new services can help you to reduce stress, improve wellbeing and get the support you need before reaching crisis point.
The individual’s coping style to psychosocial stress impacts the stress-induced pathological changes and the risk of psychological disorders such as depression.
For an in-depth understanding of Mental Health topics - A - Z.
Download booklet Beyond Blue’s 'A guide to what works for anxiety'
Conscious Mind quotes: https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=CONSCIOUS+MIND+QUOTES&qpvt=CONSCIOUS+MIND+QUOTES&FORM=IGRE
7 Carer Coping Skills and Planning tips for those Special Occasions
Those Special Occasions/Celebrations are a challenging time for Carers, for many it can be overwhelming, stressful with mixed emotions such as anxiety, love and sadness. Some family members that you don’t often see may find it difficult to understand the complexities of a mental illness, which could lead to loved ones feeling rejected.
= - = - = - = - = - = - = - = - = - = - = - =
Guiding you through the Carer Payment and Carer Allowance claim process
6 September 2021
By answering a few questions we can guide you through the steps to claim Carer Payment and Carer Allowance.
Carer Payment provides income support for Australians who provide full-time care for another person. It’s important to note that when applying for Carer Payment, both the carer and the person receiving care must satisfy certain eligibility criteria.
Before you start using the guides, please check that you’re eligible to claim Carer Payment and Carer Allowance.
If you’re eligible to make a claim, complete our: Answer the questions in the guide for your situation. We’ll ask you questions like:
- Do you have a claim in progress?
- Are you claiming for the care you give to somebody else?
- Do you want to claim online?
- Do you have a myGov account?
If you’re not eligible to claim a payment for carers, use our Payment and Service Finder to see if there’s another payment for your situation.
Next steps: Read more news for Carers.
Page last updated: 15 January 2021
******************************************************************************
YOU do not have to do this all by Yourself. There IS help. The first thing to do is 'Just Ask'. Call 1800 422 737. It's OK. It's Not your fault.
Sometimes it 'Just IS'. https://www.myagedcare.gov.au/caring-someone
Since April 2020, the full suite of services has been available using a network of Carer Gateway regional service providers.
Wellways is the lead agency in the delivery of the new carer services in Queensland and the NSW areas of South West Sydney and Nepean Blue Mountains and supported by our consortia partners Dementia Australia, Little Dreamers, North-West Rural Health and Selectability.
New services available:
- Carer support planning — to help you identify what areas of support will best help you in your caring role and to develop a simple plan for ongoing support and service.
- Assistance with navigating federal, state and local government and non-government schemes, including the NDIS, My Aged Care and palliative care.
- Tailored financial packages — either a one-off payment for an item to assist in your caring role, or ongoing practical help, such as respite or transport, over a twelve-month period.
- In-person counselling — for one-on-one support with a professional counsellor if you feel stressed or overwhelmed.
- In-person peer support — where you can meet with people in similar caring situations and share your stories, knowledge and experience.
- In-person coaching – where you can work one-on-one with a qualified coach to gain skills and resilience to help you as a carer. You can reflect on how you are going, how you would like things to be, and how you might take steps towards making things happen.
Should YOU feel the need, National Carer Counselling Program provides counselling and related emotional support services to carers.
--------------
There are Carer Support Groups in Your Area:
Angels Carer Support Group. Held the last Tuesday of each month at St. Paul's Anglican Church Hall, 69 Palm Beach Ave, PALM BEACH -
Come just after 1.00pm for that cuppa and a chat. Often we have Speakers on subjects of interest to us as Carers - they start about 1.00pm and go to about 3.00pm. Other times we just sit, relax and enjoy each other's company and support each other as we face the daily caregiving tasks. Sit and chat, and take a brief break - for YOU :-) We hold our meetings on the last Tuesday of each month. Father Phillip is a Great Supporter of the Angels.
YOU are most welcome to join us :-) Do take CARE of YOU too...
and to find out what else is going on in the Palm Beach area: http://palmbeachgoldcoast.net.au/events/
===========================================
Take just yesterday. You had inadvertently slept in because you were Totally Exhausted having spent part of the night changing the bed, soothing your loved one's anxieties, guiding them to the bathroom - again, cleaning up the spillage, and then soothing and tucking them into bed... What is truly Scary, is that this has almost become the norm - almost Every night. Someone you know had suggested that you get in help - like from a Provider, but it doesn't seem to you that it is needed - not just yet anyway. Please reconsider... e.g. It takes time to ring MyAgedCare on 1800 200 422 (over 65 years of age), get all the information together and answer All those questions over the phone. Then there is the RAS who come into your home and ask you More questions and fill in yet More forms. Does your loved one have an ACAT?
A What??? This needs to be arranged (you can ask your GP to help if you like), otherwise it can be arranged for you by the MyAgedCare team. An appointment will be made with an ACAT (Aged Care Assessment Team) member who will visit you in your home and determine what level of care would best suit your loved one. This alone may take a few months as they can get quite busy... In the meantime you will have needed to gather up all your financial information and answer even more questions - to determine if your loved one can contribute $ toward their care. And so it goes... Probably best to get started now, even if it does seem to you to be 'Too Early'.
In the meantime, have a look around and learn what's available in your own community
If your health fails, who looks after your loved one? I know that we Carers are good; BUT lack of sleep and less time for YOU, takes its toll... I know this sounds trite, but YOU need to eat well. Stress and Depression can take their toll on your health too!
And here is a handy List of Contacts ... and remember, there IS Help when YOU have to go into hospital. Watch video Caring for the Caregiver.
Need additional support?
When you ring My Aged Care for that added support, you may also be asked as part of the assessment of the person you are caring for. For the over 65 years, this will be the MyAgedCare site. Under 65 years? Speak with your Provider :-)
If a client needs a carer to continue to live in the community and has a Carer, part of an effective assessment of their (client's) situation is to examine the sustainability of the caring situation. This assessment will determine whether the person needs a Carer using these responses:
- The consumer cannot be left on their own at any time (whether by day or night)
- The consumer can only be left on their own for some, but not all, of the time (whether by day or night)
- Nil, no Carer required.
Only if the person needs a carer (ie the first two responses), is a question asked about whether there is a carer. When the person needs a carer and has a carer, a separate carer profile assessment is triggered.
The carer profile identifies current carer supports, needs and threats to the carer relationship, and asks the assessor to make a judgement about whether current care arrangements are sustainable without additional services or support. This judgement is used in the Urgency Rating algorithm and can help the assessor in deciding whether to refer the carer for a more detailed assessment to support their caring role (eg. at a Carer Respite Centre).
Many carers are themselves ageing and becoming frailer. The care profile asks the assessor to judge whether the carer themselves needs an assessment as a care recipient. It is estimated that in approximately 20% of cases (Samsa et al., 2009), an assessment of the carer as a care recipient in their own right is required. If the assessor makes this judgement, the carer should be referred to complete an assessment as a care recipient.
A Day in the Life of a Caregiver - shows it how it is... We just, 'do it'.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bs_7jWqSeIM
The care applicant may themselves be a carer of another person, eg. a parent, a child or a partner. There is a trigger question seeking this information. If so, the Care Recipient as Carer Profile is triggered. This Profile specifically asks whether the person being cared for is a person with disabilities, as this raises different issued about the care applicant's caring role. This may entail a referral to disability services to assess the needs of the person being cared for. This Profile requires the assessor to judge whether the care applicant need to be assessed as a carer as well.
9. Centre for Health Service Development, University of Wollongong, p38.
-----------------------------------
- an ACAT
High Priority is defined as: Client is considered at urgent and immediate risk in terms of their personal safety or at immediate risk of admission into residential care. The client may have a carer and the carer arrangements are unsustainable or the carer is at crisis point.
https://www.health.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/2019/12/acat-guidance-for-home-care-package-high-priority.pdf
Alternative route to accessing My Aged Care
Older Australians about to start their aged care services journey can now apply for an ACAT - aged care assessment through the My Aged Care website.
30 January 2020 by Liz Alderslade
People will be able to access a new online form to register for their first assessment on the My Aged Care website. [Source: Shutterstock] People will be able to access a new online form to register for their first assessment and can be completed in their own time as an alternative to calling the My Aged Care contact centre.
The Federal Government is aiming to improve the functionality of the My Aged Care website with this additional contact form.
A family member, friend or carer can help an older person manage the online application, or someone can do it on their behalf, however, they will need to be registered as your representative on My Aged Care.
To register a regular representative, you can either call My Aged Care, ask an assessor at your face-to-face assessment, or fill out the Appointment of a Representative Form available on the My Aged Care website here.
All Guides to Aged Care - just click on what YOU want to know NOW:-
https://www.agedcareguide.com.au/information/all
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
No privatised aged care watchdog: minister
By: AAP in News, Top Stories March 5, 2020
The federal aged care minister says states and territories would be responsible for proposed aged care assessment teams.
There has been speculation the government was looking to privatise the watchdog, but Richard Colbeck has told a Senate estimates hearing the teams would be run by governments and “not anyone outside that process”. “My understanding is the service will effectively be provided by the states and territories,” he told the hearing in Canberra on Wednesday. An interim report by the aged care royal commission recommended merging Regional Assessment Services and Aged Care Assessment Teams to deliver consistent decisions for older Australians.
In January the commission was forced to distance itself from Senator Colbeck’s comment that privatising the teams was their idea. He said states and territories would have the best healthcare staff on hand to run and oversee the process. The government announced last year it would merge two separate organisations that assessed what aged care services a person was eligible for. Senator Colbeck said on Wednesday this process would mean negotiations with states and territories to form the new national body.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
If you’ve had a face-to-face assessment in the past, there may come a time when you need to be reassessed.
The assessment you had would have been based on the needs that you had at that time. However, circumstances can change.
You may find that since your last assessment, your needs have changed. Perhaps some other daily tasks have become more difficult for you.
https://www.myagedcare.gov.au/assessment
If you’ve had a look to see what services might be available and you want to know more about how to apply and what’s involved in the assessment process, this section is for you.
The first stage is to find out if you are eligible for subsidised aged care. This involves a two-part assessment process that understands your needs and what services could help you. It starts with a simple phone call followed by an in-person assessment.
The first step to access government-funded aged care services is to call My Aged Care on 1800 200 422.
Our friendly and knowledgeable contact centre staff will talk with you about your needs and circumstances. If we think My Aged Care services can help, we’ll refer you for a face-to-face assessment.
All our staff are trained to talk to people in a range of situations and are ready to answer your questions to help find the best options for you.
What happens on the call?
Our priority is getting you the help you need. To do this, we’ll ask about:
- your health
- how you’re managing at home
- any support you’re currently receiving.
We can keep a record of this discussion, so you won’t have to provide the same information again at your assessment.
Who can support me?
A family member, friend, or carer can be with you during the call. With your permission, they can also talk on your behalf.
If you want someone to speak and act on your behalf on an ongoing basis, you can appoint them as your representative with My Aged Care. This will allow My Aged Care to talk to them about your aged care.
If you’re receiving a comprehensive assessment for some services such as residential care, home care, and flexible care, the assessor will ask you to complete an Application for Care Form.
What happens after I call?
With the information you give us, we’ll let you know if you are eligible for a face-to-face assessment. A face-to-face assessment can determine exactly what you need, and can even let you know about services you may not have thought about.
How should I prepare for my assessment?
https://www.myagedcare.gov.au/assessment/prepare-your-assessment
For any face-to-face assessment, you should have:
- your Medicare card and one other form of ID proof - such as DVA card, driver's license, healthcare card, or passport
- have a copy of any referrals from your doctor
- consider if you would like a support person present
- have any information you already have about aged care services that you may want to discuss
- have contact details for your GP or other health professionals
- consider if you need special assistance to communicate, such as a translator, Auslan interpreter, guide dog, etc.
- have information on any support you receive.
There may be a form to fill out
If you’re receiving a comprehensive assessment for some services such as residential care, home care, and flexible care, the assessor will ask you to complete an Application for Care Form.
Your assessor will talk to you about your needs
The assessor will have a copy of the information you gave to the My Aged Care contact centre. This gives them an idea of what support you might need to help you return to, or keep the level of independence needed to manage your day-to-day life. They’ll also ask about:
- what support you already have, and if it will continue
- your health, lifestyle and any health concerns
- how you’re going with completing daily tasks and activities around the home
- if you have problems with your memory
- any issues relating to home and personal safety
- family and community activities
- speaking to your GP or other health professionals.
Your assessor will work with you to develop your support plan
The support plan records what you discussed and agreed during your assessment such as:
- your strengths
- your difficulties
- your goals
- what you would like to achieve
- what preferences you have for your services
Questions to ask the assessor
You may also like to prepare any questions that you have, for example:
- What services are available to help me reach my goals?
- What services are available locally, and what are the waiting times?
- What supports are there for my carer?
- Are there service providers that speak my language or represent my religious or cultural beliefs?
- How can I contact the assessor if I have any questions after the assessment?
Can I have someone with me?
Yes. You never have to be alone in this process. If you choose, a family member, friend or carer can be with you during your assessment.
An ACAT assessment and approval is required before people can access residential aged care, Community Aged Care Packages or Extended Aged Care at Home packages. Assessment teams are located around Australia and are usually based at a hospital, geriatric centre or community centre and can see people in their own home or in hospital.
ACATs help older people and their carers work out what kind of care will best meet their needs when they are no longer able to manage at home without assistance. ACATs provide information on suitable care options and can help arrange access or referral to appropriate residential or home care services (including HACC, Short Term Restorative Care and Transition Care). An ACAT assessment and approval is required before people can access residential aged care or a home care package.
FIND A SERVICE THAT SUPPORTS BOTH OF YOU
Respite will work most effectively if you can find a service that both the person with dementia and carer find attractive and valuable. In some cases, especially in more advanced cases of dementia, involving the person with dementia in all of the decisions and planning may not be possible. In this case, carers will need to advocate for the type of services they think will work for both parties.
It will be important to reassure people with dementia if they are anxious that respite may in fact be a positive experience that provides them with opportunities to engage with others and participate in meaningful activities. “He goes to the Men’s Shed, two mornings a week and from here he can walk to the Men’s Shed. He walks down and at lunch time, one of the other people who live in the village bring him home. He needs to be in respite where he can take part in the activities and be able to chat to people and socialise.”
(Carer, husband is living with dementia aged 74 years)
https://www.dementia.org.au/files/NATIONAL/documents/Flexible-Respite%20Brochure-Consumers.pdf
21 January 2021
- an ACAT
The Government will be going out to tender this year to both the private sector and current industry organisations to fill a single Aged Care Assessment Team/Service (ACAT/S) force, which will be implemented in April 2021.
by Liz Alderslade 21 January 2020
The Government says the aim of the change to the ACAT/S arrangement is to help older Australians receive the services they require sooner. [Source: Shutterstock]
In late December, the Federal Government announced they will be amalgamating the ACAT/S with the Regional Assessment Service (RAS), to streamline consumer assessments and access to aged care pathways. This decision has followed a legislated review of the aged care system by David Tune in 2016-2017, suggesting that the ACAT/S and RAS needed to become a single assessment system, which received principal support from the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety.
The Government says the aim of the change to the ACAT/S arrangement is to help older Australians receive the services they require sooner.
You will also need to be assessed by an Aged Care Assessment Team (ACAT) Phone 1300 130 143 to find out if you are Level 1, Level 2, Level 3 or Level 4.
https://www.myagedcare.gov.au/assessment