The Australian government offers an assessment called My Aged Care that looks at how much help you need in your life as you get older. Many people can care for themselves for years, but others face a decline in ability that affects their health and safety. However, they still have enough ability to live on their own as long as they have some help. The assessment looks at what home care you might need and whether the government will help you pay for it.
You Might Be Eligible for More Help Than You Thought
Don't underestimate the skills you have, but don't underestimate the areas where you might need help. With the assessment, you can find out if you really are able to handle everything in your life or if you need more care than you thought. And you could turn out to be in a situation where you qualify for more help from the government. That's the point of this assessment: to see where you really are and what help you can get. It sounds like a broken record, but many don't understand that they are not on their own even if they are doing rather well at caring for themselves.
You Could Receive Subsidised Care
If it turns out you do need some form of home care, the assessment will also look at whether you qualify for subsidies to help cover the cost of the care. If you've put off looking for home care because you thought you couldn't afford it, this could be your ticket to a better quality of life. One the subsidies start helping with the cost, you could find that your contribution is very small, and your finances don't suffer.
You May Need More Help Than You Thought
As you get older, you may not notice just how much your ability to take care of yourself has declined. It's totally possible to be healthy and happy right to the end, but a lot of people do have some issues as they age. And the changes can be so gradual that you don't realize the extent to which you've lost part of your ability to care for yourself. You may think you're doing fine, but the assessment could reveal that you actually do need help cleaning your home and preparing nutritious meals. This is a good third-party assessment that gives you a neutral look at where you really are in life.
When the assessment is complete, you'll be able to start arranging for services like home health care and other forms of assistance. Don't assume you don't qualify or that you don't need the service. Go through the assessment so that you can start planning ahead.
If you or a loved one needs to access health care from their home, then there are many services available that can help. It is important to find a home health care service that you can trust to prioritise the patient's well-being.
Our site explains the basic principles of home health care and helps you to find a suitable service. Take a look at our posts to help you clarify what you need from a home health care service. Read on to find out how working with one can take the pressure off family carers and enhance the life of the person needing care.