How to reduce Consumer Directed Care in Home Care Package fees and enjoy the new rights
The power of Consumer Directed Care is that Elders can nominate:
✓ When they want care (no more waiting half a day for a shower);
✓ Who they want to provide their care (i.e. their Government funding can now pay for premium private providers like Daughterly Care.);
✓ What type of care would best suit their needs;
✓ The level of involvement they want to have in the management of their Government Subsidised in Home Care Package. By choosing a self-managed package, they can reduce the administration and case management fees substantially. This means their package buys more hours of care, which also means more respite care for the family’s main carer.
When you choose Daughterly Care to provide the care, paid for by your Government Subsidised in Home Care Package, we can review your Approved Provider ‘proposed budget’ and / or monthly statements to ensure the fees you are paying are reasonable.
More often than not, we can increase the number of hours of care / respite the Government pays for – that’s the power of Consumer Directed Care…
Here is an example of how a client is using their Government funded Home Care Package to pay for respite care.
1/ Bill’s wife suffered a stroke and was left unable to mobilise easily or speak. Bill prefers to take his respite as a 10 day holiday every 3 months, rather than receive respite of an hour or so per day. This gives him a thorough break to recharge and something fun to plan for, plus look forward to.
2/ Bill’s daughter is a Registered Nurse and was case managing the care of her mother. Frustrated by the high fees (38% pa) that their Approved Provider was deducting from her Mum’s Home Care Package, she found Daughterly Care’s website. She became more educated about how Consumer Directed Care Home Care Packages is supposed to work.
3/ After a couple of “informative conversations” with Daughterly Care’s CEO, Kylie Lambert, the Registered Nurse felt confident to:
A: assert her rights under Consumer Directed Care;
B: lodge a complaint about a threat to her father to withdraw her mothers package by the Approved Provider Case Manager;
C: request the fees to be reduced so it reflects her case management role.
4/ The overall costs of the package were reduced 68%, from 38% pa to 12% pa. That’s a significant saving every year therefore, Bill is now able to buy more care and have his respite holidays knowing his wife is beautifully cared for. That’s the power of Consumer Directed Care that is in-place now.
5/ Furthermore the Approved Provider had failed to ask Bill and his daughter, what level of management they wanted to have of their package which the Guidelines states on page 26:
3.1.3 Level of Consumer control over the management of the package as part of the care planning process.
The consumer must be asked about, and given the option of, exercising different levels of control over the management of the package.
As a result, the Approved Provider refunded 5 months of ‘over charged Case Management fees’ and reduced the on-going administration case management fees from 38% per annum to 12%.
6/ Bill and his daughter exercised their right to choose the type of care that best suits his wife’s care needs when he has his 10 days of respite – which is Live in Care.
7/ Bill and his daughter exercised their right to choose who provides the care for his wife. They chose Daughterly Care because our Live in Care service is the perfect type of care for the ten days of respite Bill enjoys.
3 August 2015 – Appreciative phone call from a client who just engaged our Live in Care respite service for his wife while he took a ten day break
I just had a call from a client, Mr B. He rang to say that both our Live in Carers, Judith and Wendy were wonderful with his wife, Patricia. He was very happy with the service and attention provided by Daughterly Care, and the house was IMMACULATE! Our carers managed to complete chores, he did not have the time to do.
Mr B has used Daughterly Care twice, for short services of 24 hour Live in Care for respite. This enabled him to take a holiday and has been very happy.
Lynda
Case Manager
What percentage is your Approved Provider deducting from your in Home Care Package?
If you would like Daughterly Care to review your monthly statement and comment on how you can reduce the fee, email the statement to cdcchecker@daughterlycare.com.au or post to: Ros Atkinson, Daughterly Care, PO Box 670, Narrabeen, 2101.
Educated Consumers Enjoy better health outcomes
The more educated Elders and their family / advocates are, the easier it is for them to negotiate better aged care and health outcomes. This is the reason I have invested my time in checking statements to understand the Consumer Directed Care reforms and how to best exercise your rights.
Read more about Consumer Directed Care here.
Warmly
Kate
Kylie Lambert B.Ec F Fin
(known to her friends for 25 years as Kate)
Daughterly Care CEO, Co-Founder and Owner
A positive approach in keeping the Elders in the community in their own home. Great work Kate in enlightening the community regarding this brilliant Govt initiative.