Welcome to the My Aged Care video that showcases
the Home Care Package Service Finder.
The Service Finder is designed to help you make
an informed decision when choosing a provider
to deliver your home care package services.
This video will guide you through how to do a basic
search for a home care package provider, how to do
an advanced search to better target your search
results and how to view your search results,
including how to do a side by side comparison
of up to three providers.
Choosing the right provider can be difficult.
The Home Care Package Service Finder has been
designed to make the process a bit easier.
If you would prefer to speak to someone instead,
you can call the My Aged Care Contact Centre on 1800 200 422.
The My Aged Care website is the one stop shop
for information on aged care services.
To access the Home Care Package Service Finder,
click on the 'Find a service' tab.
The 'Find a service' screen will be displayed.
Select the 'Home Care Packages' tab.
The Home Care Package Service Finder allows you
to do a basic search either by location using your
postcode or suburb, or by the provider's name if known.
The next step is to search by the Home Care Package Level
which is contained in your home care package approval letter.
As a default, all of the Home Care Package
Levels 1 to 4 are selected.
To look for providers that offer Home Care Package
Level 2 services, deselect Levels 1, 3 and 4.
From here you can click on the search button to find
providers that meet this search criteria, or you can
refine your search by clicking on 'More search options'.
The advanced search fields will be displayed and the
blue information icons provide some extra guidance
on what each of these fields mean.
Depending on your care needs and what is most
important to you, you may have a number of different
criteria when searching for a suitable provider.
You can search on one or more values, depending on
your individual preferences.
While all providers are expected to offer services
for people with special needs, some may also offer
customised services for specific special needs groups.
Specialised services allows you to limit your search
to providers who provide specialised services,
for example to cater for people living with
dementia or those with mobility issues.
Culture allows you to search for providers who
offer culturally specific care to certain groups.
Religion allows you to search for providers that deliver
care that aligns with particular religious needs or values.
Language allows you to search for providers that
cater to specific language requirements.
You can also do a general keyword search against
information in the Service Finder.
If out of hours services are important to you,
click on the checkbox to select them here.
Case management is a service that all providers
offer to assist you with coordinating the delivery
of services under your home care package.
This distinguishes whether the case management
services are provider managed or whether there is
an option to self-manage your services.
Once you have put in your preferences, click on the
'Search' button to view your results.
For now we'll just do a basic search.
This search has returned four providers who meet
the search criteria Clontarf in Queensland.
You can choose to sort your results alphabetically,
or select 'More options' to narrow your search using
the advanced search criteria previously shown.
To view more detail about a specific provider,
click on their name.
A provider can choose what information is displayed
in the Service Finder.
If there is something missing or if there are
some other things you would like to know,
you can contact them directly to find out more information.
In the top right hand corner you have the option to print
or email all of the provider's information displayed.
The first tab gives an overview of the provider,
including any cultural, religious or language
specialisations they specifically cater for.
To the right of the screen is the provider's
contact information and opening hours.
There is also a link to the My Aged Care home care fee
estimator so you can start researching how much you
may need to contribute to the cost of your care.
The actual fees you need to pay should be discussed
between you and your chosen provider before
you start receiving services.
The 'Services' tab includes information about
the provider's services.
This includes whether they currently provide services for
each of the Home Care Package Levels and their availability.
This provider offers all four Home Care Package Levels
as shown by the tick.
At this point in time they do not have availability
for the more intensive Level 4 home care package services.
If this was your chosen provider and you were
approved for a Level 4 home care package,
you can always call the provider to discuss
their future plans and availability.
Information on a provider's compliance history is also
captured through the Service Finder.
If a provider has any current or historical
notices of non-compliance or sanctions, you can view
the details by clicking on the link at the top of the page.
Further down is information about the provider's
specialisations and their case management options.
The 'Costs' tab provides information about the fees
and charges associated with the delivery of your care.
The average percentage of package available for
services is the percentage of funds that remain for
services after providers' administration fees have
been taken into account.
The maximum exit amount is the maximum amount that
a provider may deduct if you leave their care.
Providers must publish their maximum exit amount
on the Service Finder.
It is important to remember that this is the maximum
amount and you can discuss this with your chosen provider.
The provider's pricing includes indicative costs
for the range of services they offer, which may be
included as an attachment or a link to the provider's website.
The remaining fields contain information on the
average percentage surcharge for out of hours services.
To go back to the search results click
'Return to search results'.
We will now look at the Compare feature of the Service Finder.
Click on the 'Compare' checkbox for up to three providers.
The total number of providers selected will
appear on the top right hand side, then click on
the 'Compare' button.
The Compare Home Care Package providers screen allows
you to compare your shortlisted providers side by side.
You can choose to email or print your shortlist.
This is a useful basis to start a conversation with
your preferred provider to see if they are
the right fit for you.
That concludes My Aged Care video on the
Home Care Package Service Finder.
Remember if you'd like any help finding a provider,
you can always call the My Aged Care Contact Centre.
More information about home care packages is available
on the My Aged Care website.