Home Care helps people with a range of household duties.
Examples of some assistance provided include:
- cleaning of floor surfaces,
- cleaning of utility areas such as kitchens and bathrooms,
- changing of bed linen, and
- hanging out washing.
Times available
This service is available Monday - Friday between the hours of 8am - 4pm excluding public holidays.
Cost of service and payment
This service is income assessed according to the Home and Community Care (HACC) fees policy. Fees charged are as per Councils’ fee schedule.
Prior to commencing this service you will be required to complete a ‘self declaration’ of income form. The information provided on this form will be used to allocate you a fee for service. This information will be updated at each review. If your situation changes at anytime please contact an Assessment Officer.
This service is provided on a ‘pay as you go’ basis. At the end of each service you will be presented with an invoice by your Home Care Worker. You can pay your Home Care Worker directly and he/she will issue you with a signed recept. If you would like to make alternate arrangements please discuss this with us.
All enquires regarding your home care accounts can be directed to Resident Support Services on 9742 8114.
Allocation of service
Once you and an Assessment Officer have formulated a care plan this is then forwarded to a Team Leader for allocation of a worker. Where possible a regular Home Care Worker and day of service will be allocated. You will be advised whether the service is in the morning (between 9 and 12) or in the afternoon (between 12 and 3pm). If it is necessary to change this arrangement due to illness or holidays of your usual Home Care Worker, you will be notified by telephone if the service.
What is a Care Plan?
A care plan is the outcome of the initial assessment or review, and details the services to be provided which is agreed to by the client, the carer (if applicable) and the service provider. This may change to reflect the changing needs of the individual. The care plan comprises a detailed plan of the service to be delivered, including :
- type of service, eg. home care,
- specific tasks to be undertaken during the service,
- frequency, duration and commencement date of service,
- monitoring schedule, and
- approximate date of next review.
Monitoring Schedule
Your Home Care Worker will monitor your situation on a regular basis and will provide feedback to their team leader This in turn may be referred to an Assessment Officer for further action. Your consent will be obtained prior to any referrals being made.
Review
All clients receiving service will be subject to a review – the frequency of which will depend on individual situations and feedback from either Home Care Workers or other agencies such as hospitals, Aged Care Assessment Services.
A review will look at:
- whether the service being delivered is meeting your needs,
- to discuss how you feel about the service provided,
- note any changes to your situation,
- review your situation in terms of continued eligibility and need for service, and
- discuss other needs that you may have and look at any other services or agencies that may be able to assist.
An Assessment Officer will be available to review your Care Plan at other times when your circumstances may have changed by request from you.
Cancellation or suspension of service
Cancellation of individual service is required at least four (4) hours prior to the starting time of this service. Contact a Team Leader on 9742 8114 regarding cancellations. If ringing after hours please leave a message for us on our answering machine. If cancellation does not occur prior to these times you will be fully charged for the cost of the service.
If you are receiving more than one of our services eg delivered meals or Corner House, please let us know and we can arrange the suspension of these as well.
Suspension of more than one service due to holidays, hospitalisation or respite needs to be identified to an Assessment Officer. An assessment will be made as to whether or not your needs have changed and if a review is necessary prior to recommencement of services.
Signing timesheets
At the end of your service the Home Care Worker will ask you to sign a time sheet showing the day and time he/she has worked for you. Please make sure the timesheet is an accurate record of the time the Home Care Worker provided service, by changing the times if necessary.
Health and Safety Issues
At assessment or review, an Assessment Officer will complete a Home Hazard Checklist with you. This will identify any issues related to the health and safety of the Home Care Worker whilst working in your home. Any concerns identified will need to be rectified before the Home Care Worker can commence the service.
In the interest of Home Care Worker Health and Safety, services may be suspended at any time if requirements regarding occupational health and safety are not met.
Please note the following points in regard to occupational health and safety requirements. Your Home Care Worker is not able to:
- operate any equipment without a safety switch or
- perform tasks that are not on the care plan.
Tasks not included in the care plan:
- wash floors on hands and knees,
- climb on furniture to perform cleaning duties,
- lift any heavy objects or equipment (eg furniture) ,
- stand on any tables or chairs to reach for high objects,
- use a cotton mop without a wringer device,
- lift a heavy metal bucket,
- use damaged electrical equipment,
- polish or dust,
- iron for longer than 30 minutes,
- use cleaning products that are not in their original containers,
- use the harsher variety of cleaning products, (see list below)
- accept gifts or money from you,
- discuss other service user’s situations with you,
- carry out any tasks related to your pets,
- undertake tasks if there is a dog/animal present in the home,
- smoke whilst in your home, or
- undertake tasks while you or anyone in your home is smoking.
Medication
Home Care Workers are not permitted to give medications to clients during a respite sitting. Clients need to be able to take their own medication but may be prompted or reminded by the Home Care Worker.
Cleaning Products
In the interests of the health and safety of our workers we recommend that our staff use products that are non-chemical based or that have a minimal impact on themselves and the environment. This list is not exhaustive and product use is at the discretion of the Home Care Worker.
Not Recommended | Recommended |
| Ajax Spray N Wipe | Ajax, Ajax Floor Cleaner |
| Zippy Over Cleaner | Ajax Gel Cleaner |
| White King Bleach | Handy Andy |
| White King Toilet Cleaner | Pine O Clean |
| Cloudy Ammonia | Clean N Shine |
| Domestos | Bon Ami |
| Shower Power | Jiff Cream |
| Exit Mould | Harpic Heavy Duty |
| Scrub Free | Mr Muscle Toilet Cleaner |
Discontinuing service
If you no longer wish to use this service or any other service you can cancel at anytime by telephoning our assessment officers on 9742 0874. Our assessment officers would appreciate discussing the matter with you as there may be other ways in which we can help. You are welcome to ring back at anytime if you feel your circumstances change and you require assistance again. Any future referrals will not be affected by previous outcomes.