Home Care Packages can help Australians over the age of 65 to stay at home

For a variety of reasons, many Australians have a strong desire to continue to stay in the comfort and familiarity of their own home, despite some deterioration in their health and capacity to carry out the essential tasks of daily living. With the right services and support this can be overcome. The government’s “Home Care Package Program” may be able to assist you to pay for the care to stay at home.

If you, or someone you know is having difficulty with any of the following:

  • Housework
  • Shopping
  • Preparing meals
  • Personal grooming

  • Garden maintenance

Then you may be eligible for a HCP. To check your eligibility, you can complete a simple questionnaire at My Aged Care

How to apply

To receive a Package, you need to apply for an assessment with My Aged Care. We can help you through the assessment process for free – simply book a complimentary care consultation with one of our coordinators.

With low fees, high quality care professionals, 24-hour support and dedicated care coordination, Yellow Door offers excellent value for Home Care Package recipients. For more reasons why to choose Yellow Door Care to manage you package click here.

As a family owned and operated home care provider, Yellow Door is able to minimise overheads and deliver you better value for your money.

Our care and package management fees are some of the most competitive available, which means you have more to spend on care and other services.

In addition, Yellow Door does not charge you a daily fee, which is a direct charge to you that amounts to several hundred dollars per month and increases with the package level.

For our full schedule of HCP fees and charges click here

What Services and Support Can I afford?

At Yellow Door, we understand that planning for home care can be both overwhelming and complex. That’s why we’ve developed an easy-to-use Package Calculator to help you create a customised care package that fits your needs and budget.

Explore our Package Calculator, an interactive tool tailored to help you navigate your government-funded healthcare options. Easily assess different service combinations, see how you can best use your allocated funds, and identify if you’ll need to cover any extra costs.

Self-funded? You can also use the calculator to get a clear picture of your typical healthcare spending. Make informed decisions about your healthcare with our straightforward and helpful Package Calculator.

Home Care Package FAQs

If you’ve still got questions, we might be able to answer them here. If not please don’t hesitate to contact us today!

The Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP) supports older people who are still managing well, but want some extra assistance, at home. Home Care Packages (HCP) provide more care and support services on an ongoing basis, for people whose needs are more intensive or complex. Both programs give you support to stay at home, but there are some differences:

CHSP: (Yellow Door Care does not provide CHSP services)

  • choose from a set menu of services – there isn’t much flexibility
  • only pay for the services you use
  • dip in and out of the program as you need things
  • have your eligibility assessed by the Regional Assessment Service (RAS).

HCP: Yellow Door Care is a Premium provider of Home Care Packages in Adelaide.

  • a Home Care Coordinator helps you understand the system and work out a care plan that suits your individual needs and preferences
  • you get your own funds to use and can decide how to spend it, rather than choosing from a menu
  • once you have a package, it stays in place for the long term
  • your eligibility is assessed by the Aged Care Assessment Team (ACAT).
  • you can compare providers on the Aged Care Guide or on My Aged Care.

You can talk to our Care Coordinators at Yellow Door Care with any queries about your Home Care Package Statement, on 8362 3033, or Get in Touch on our website, or email us at [email protected]

There is no question that we are unable to answer!

You will receive your Home Care Package Statement monthly, in the post ceding month that services occurred. In the first week of the post ceding month, statements are compiled, submitted to Services Australia and then reconciled. This usually takes one – two weeks in total. All Yellow Door Home Care Package statements are ready to be delivered by your preferred method by the second week of the month.  Clients who are anxious to receive their statements go to the top of our list!  

Your monthly statements include your opening Home Care Account Balance (calculated from the previous month):

Plus, your income:

  • Government Subsidy (depends on the Level Package you have)
  • supplements (if any)
  • your income test fee (if applicable)

Minus your outgoings:

  • Yellow Door care Services
  • External Provider Services
  • Package management Fees
  • Care Management Fees

And then the final Home Care Account Balance at the end of the month

You can gain more understanding of what might be included in your Home Care Package Statement using our free budgeting tool on our website.

  1. Call Yellow Door Care on 8362 3033 to discuss whether we are the right fit for your needs and we will let you know if we are a suitable provider for you. 
  2. Notify your current provider that you’d like to switch and confirm their conditions, such as notice period. 
  3. Call My Aged Care on 1800 200 422 to reactivate your referral code.  
  4. Once you have your referral code and exit date, contact us at 83623033 to book a consultation with a member of our team. 

At Yellow Door our Registered Nurses create a care plan for you which fits your needs, goals in a safe and compassionate way. We assess your risks and needs by thinking outside the box for solutions you have not yet thought of which assist you to remain home in a safe and healthy way. We make sure to stick to your budget and stretch it as far as it goes to help keep you safe and happy.  You can use our free budget tool to start creating your own care plan if you wish. This will assist you in knowing what you can spend your Home Care Package funds on.

A Home Care Package Budget is the funds available in your Home Care Package and how you will use those funds to pay for your services. You can use our free budget tool to work out your own budget or you can call us on 83623033 to discuss your budget.  

You can create your own budget using our free budgeting tool on our website.

You budget will include your income:

  • Government Subsidy (depends on the Level Package you have)
  • supplements (if any)
  • your income test fee (if applicable)
  • any top- up fees you wish to pay for privately

Minus your outgoings:

  • Yellow Door care Services
  • External Provider Services
  • Package management Fees
  • Care Management Fees

You will see how much money you have left at the end of every month for which you can use in the future.

You can also view our pricing schedule on our website.

You will be assigned a Home Care Package once one becomes available. After completion of your ACAT assessment, you will be placed into the National Priority System if you are deemed eligible for a Home Care Package. This priority system considers your need for care determined in your assessment, as well as the date you were approved for a Home Care Package.  

You can check your rough position in the Home Care Package waiting list through the My Aged Care client portal, or by calling My Aged Care on 1800 200 422. Due to the dynamic nature of the waiting list, your waiting time is only an estimate. Expected wait times for each level are outlined below: 

For a level 2 Home Care Package, estimated wait times are 3-6 months, with higher level packages 3 and 4 having estimated wait times of 9-12 months.  

While you wait, you can start looking for a Provider. You can also start comparing fees. Have a look at our free budgeting tool to get you started or call us today to have a chat and book in your initial assessment.  

The Home Care Package waitlist is on a National Priority System. After you have had an assessment and been approved for a Home Care Package, the time varies as to when you are assigned the package depending on the level of the package.

How urgently someone needs services can also impact how long it may take to be assigned a Home Care Package. Those with higher or more urgent needs are prioritised.

For people with a medium priority, the expected wait time for an approved Home Care Package is:

Package level

Approximate wait time (valid as of August 2024)

Level 1

Less than 1 month

Level 2

3 – 6 months

Level 3

9 – 12 months

Level 4

9 – 12 months

Each home care package has a different level of funding to meet different care needs. If your situation changes and you need additional services to meet your care needs, we will review your care plan and review options for getting you more support and will determine if a reassessment is required. We will then liaise with My Aged Care to have your Home Care Pacakge Level reviewed.  

A referral code is a unique code (starting with 1- or a 2-) that you will receive in your outcome letter if you are assigned a Home Care Package following your ACAT assessment.  You can also call My Aged Care on 1800 200 422 and ask for your referral code. 

This code allows Yellow Door to access the important ACAT assessment information that we will use to develop your personal care plan. Giving this referral code to Yellow Door does not require you to sign up for our services. Yellow Door will be able to assess your unique circumstances or access your Home Care Package funding on your behalf. 

If you are changing providers your referral code will need to be reactivated before it can be used at your new provider. To reactivate your referral code, you must call My Aged Care on 1800 200 422. 

Apply for an assessment online in 3 easy steps –

Before you can access government-subsidised aged care services for the first time, you need to apply for an assessment. Using the online application is quick and easy and will only take 15 to 20 minutes to complete. 

It’s the same form to apply for all types of care and support – including help at home, short-term care, and care in an aged care home. 

You can complete the application yourself or on behalf of a family member or friend. If you’d like to set up an ongoing support person, you can also do that on the My Aged Care website. 

There are three parts. The first checks you are eligible, the second captures your details, and the third confirms who the assessment organisation should call to confirm your needs and arrange the assessment. You will need your Medicare card and enough time to complete it. You can apply here! 

Package management is the ongoing organisation activities associated with ensuring the smooth delivery and management of a Home Care Package. It is deducted on a fortnightly basis from your Home Care Package subsidy and varies according to the level of support you have been assessed for. 

It may include the costs for preparing monthly statements, managing package funds, and compliance and quality assurance activities required for home care. 

Package management fees vary greatly between Home Care Package providers. Yellow Door Package Management is one of the lowest in Adelaide. Use our free budgeting tool to see the cost of services here: Budget Tool . You can compare providers on the Aged Care Guide or on My Aged Care.

Care management includes all the activities associated with coordinating your care and support such as creating a comprehensive care plan, arranging a budget, checking in with you as you receive your support and undertaking regular care reviews. Like the package management fee, it is deducted from your Home Care Package subsidy. 

When considering the fees of a potential Home Care Package provider, it is essential to combine the package management fee and care management fee to understand how much will be deducted from your subsidy every fortnight. Use our free budgeting tool to see the cost of services here: Budget Tool . You can compare providers on the Aged Care Guide or on My Aged Care.

Yellow Door Care does not charge the basic daily fee. However, you may be expected to contribute a basic daily fee to the cost of your Home Care Package. The basic daily fee may be up to $10.75, even if you’re a full age pensioner. However, the basic daily fee is an optional fee – not a mandatory one. Ask your provider is they are willing to waive the basic daily fee for you.

Yellow Door Care does not charge any extra fees. However, many Home Care Package providers in Adelaide withdraw a variety of fees from their Home Care Package clients. It is important to ask your potential provider what fees they charge and why they charge them. 

For example, many providers charge a staff travel fee for every visit – a fee that covers their staff’s kilometres of travel to get to your home. What happens if your caregiver is travelling over 30 kilometres to get to your home? You may be charged up to $30.00 extra every visit, some providers may charge up to $51.70 extra every visit. 

Providers may also charge other fees such as a monthly invoice fee for printing and sending your invoice, or a fee for talking to you on the phone. You can compare providers on the Aged Care Guide or on My Aged Care.

You can switch providers at any time; however, some providers have strict exit policies and fees in place. Ask your provider what their exit policy is and whether they charge an exit fee. Some providers may require up to one months’ notice and a $300 exit fee deducted from your Home Care Package. It is important to know that the government has banned providers from charging an exit fee from January 2024.  

Not much compares to the ease and reliability of having your own, dedicated Care Coordinator. Someone who can manage every aspect of your care and support and talk to you when you need them most. 

Ask your potential Home Care Package provider if you have a dedicated coordinator that can support you through your home care journey. If the provider does offer this service, ask if this incurs any additional fees. 

Your Yellow Door Care Coordinator meets you at your very first initial assessment with you and is available for you at any time.