If you have a Government Funded Home Care Package please read this update.
Since the Department of Health upgraded their software a couple of months ago we have had 6 clients incorrectly notified by My Aged Care that their Home Care Packages has been withdrawn because they had NOT accepted their Home Care Package in time (within the 56 day limit). This made no sense to us as they HAD accepted the Home Care Package within the time limit and more importantly the Department of Health had been paying their Home Care Package Government Funding through Daughterly Care Community Services which was evidence that the client had accepted the Home Care Package within the time frame.
The email sent last Friday from the Department of Health acknowledges this is an industry wide problem.
Please know that we audit the Home Care Package payments received from the Department of Health each month to identify mistakes
Issues we identify are:
- incorrect withdrawal of Home Care Packages;
- underpayments of Home Care Package Government Funding; and
- adjustments to Income Tested Care Fees (increases or decreases).
Where we identify that an error has been made by My Aged Care we proactively inform My Aged Care to get those issues resolved for you.
The fix (adjustment) will be in the NEXT monthly payment by the Government, or in the following month, if My Aged Care didn’t have time to fix it for the next monthly payment i.e.it can take a couple of months to get My Aged Care errors. By the way, when we complained to My Aged Care about this extra work for us and explained how upsetting it was for Elderly people to be told that their Home Care Package had been withdrawn, My Aged Care staff told us we were fortunate as other Approved Providers have had 60 clients’ Home Care Packages withdrawn incorrectly.
So if you receive any letters from My Aged Care stating your Home Care Package has been withdrawn – don’t ignore it – contact Nicole Hickey straight away or email services@dccommunityservices.com.au
If you receive a letter offering you a HIGHER Home Care Package than you are already on…accept the offer immediately
You do NOT pay any extra Basic Daily Care Fee nor any extra Income Tested Care Fee to receive a higher Home Care Package – so you will receive more hours of care and support for the same cost therefore accept the higher package immediately. Every day you delay in accepting is a day’s higher funding forfeited by you. Sometimes we can tell on the portal that you have been offered a higher Home Care Package – other times, there is no notification to us – so it is safer to assume we have not been advised by My Aged Care and tell us as soon as the letter arrives by emailing services@dccommunityservices.com.au.
Our advice will always be to accept the higher package.
We are enjoying this rain as it has been such a dry winter.
B.Ec F.Fin
Daughterly Care CEO & Co-Founder
How reassuring for these elderly people to have support and assistance available to them at an age when all these changes are daunting and they do not have to just accept what is dictated to them. They have choices and DCCS at their back and it sure makes me feel reassured for when the rest of us progress into that age group. Good on you Kate, Verlie and all DCCS.
Thank you, Irena. I enjoy educating people so they can make informed decisions that are right for them. Kate
Thanks DC for being such great advocates for your clients. Some elderly clients would think they must have done something wrong or illegal to be withdrawn from services – these services are to provide assistance for them not to to upset them!
Yes, Lucille, I have to say the Government Portal for managing Home Care Packages is full of bugs that auto- send out incorrect letters at the speed of light! And when they are wrong they do make older people worry. We are fortunate that you and Robin can answer questions and guide Mosman Seniors on the right way forward. Kate