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General FAQs
The name Yellow Door captures our desire to ensure that you have a real option to stay at home regardless of your age or health condition. Yellow is the colour of empowerment and self-control and a door symbolises your home, a space where you feel safe and want to be, where ever that is.
Yes, Yellow Door is a registered provider under both the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and the My Aged Care Home Care Package Scheme (HCP). As part of the registration requirements, Yellow Door is subject to periodic audits from independent third parties to test its compliance against the Aged Care Safety and Quality Commission and NDIS Commission Practice Standards. For more information on Yellow Door’s commitment to best practice governance, click here.
Yellow Door Care is a private home care provider committed to giving you all the support you need to stay in the comfort and safety of your own home.
Our Mission is to work with you to devise a care plan that manages the challenges and risks of remaining in your home while maintaining as much control over your lifestyle and choices as possible.
Our Team is managed and operated by registered nurses with decades of clinical experience. We take great pride in the training and support we give our personal care workers to ensure they have the right skills to fulfill your needs.
Personalised Service is our hallmark. We are local and understand the value of personalised service. Increasingly, we see large national aged and disability care providers entering the Adelaide market, which gives us an important point of differentiation for clients looking for the personal touch.
Proudly South Australian – Yellow Door is a values-based, proudly South Australian family-operated home care provider, offering support for people in Adelaide and surrounding areas.
Click here to see more about Yellow Door
Our trained Nursing Care Coordinators come to your home, or visit you in hospital to do a free nursing assessment to evaluate your needs. After carefully listening to your needs and priorities, a Care Plan is then constructed. Care Plans are discussed at our weekly clinical meetings. Depending on your needs, your care may best be provided by a Personal Care Assistant (PCA), Enrolled Nurse or Registered Nurse (or any combination of these).
Absolutely. We are a very multicultural group of people. Many of our staff speak different languages and have a good understanding of various cultural requirements.
Absolutely. If an aged care facility is your home then we are able to liaise with the caring team you already have supporting you. To compliment their care, we offer “day out” packages if you need to go to a family outing or other event outside your home. Our carers will give you their undivided attention
Refer to our blog post ‘Should I stay at home or go to an Aged Care Residential Facility?’
Refer to our blog post ‘Please explain the Income Test Fee to me!’
Refer to our blog post ‘How to choose a home care package provider?’
Refer to our blog post ‘Care Management and Package Management Fees Explained’
Refer to our blog post ‘What is an Advance Care Directive?’
It is vital to ask your potential Home Care Package provider how their staff are screened and trained. Do they have National Police Clearances? Do they have a NDIS worker check? How many reference checks are completed before they are employed? Does the provider offer ongoing training and professional development? Yellow Door has a strict and rigorous recruitment process and ongoing training program to ensure you receive safe and quality care. Check out our Quality Assurance page to provide more detail and answers to your questions.
Yellow Door has its own employees to deliver your home care services. With over 100 care staff delivering over 2000 hours of care per week, we have the right staff for you. Many Home Care Package providers use agency staff and contractors to deliver care services to their clients. If you decide to choose a provider with this model of care, it is important to ask what safeguards the provider has in place to ensure the quality of the care that is provided. We also recommend asking how the agency workers and contractors have been screened and trained.
If you’re considering Home Care Providers, it is critical to keep these questions in mind to make sure you’re choosing a Home Care Package provider that’s the right fit for you.
Yes. We’re really happy when you find a worker that you click with and encourage you to let us know if you’d like a specific team member to visit you regularly. We will do our best to make sure we schedule them in with you, however at times it may not be possible if there has to be a last-minute change to your service date or time. We will always let you know in advance if someone different to usual will be visiting you.
What if I want to change, alter or cancel a visit from my Yellow Door care worker. How do I do that?
Easy! Just email [email protected] or use your client portal on your App to change, alter or cancel your care worker. You can always call our Care Coordinator team if you prefer. Just make sure to give two business days’ notice to avoid a cancellation fee.
The cost of help at home services varies from person to person, depending on what services you are receiving, and your own personal financial situation. The Government may contribute toward your care costs, and you may be asked to contribute towards them too if you can afford it. My Aged Care provides an overview of the costs involved on their website, and we also publish our fees for Home Care Packages our website.
Use our free budgeting tool on our website to give you an exact breakdown of the costs.
Home Care Package FAQs
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.
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!
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.
- 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.
- Notify your current provider that you’d like to switch and confirm their conditions, such as notice period.
- Call My Aged Care on 1800 200 422 to reactivate your referral code.
- 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 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.
