© Danielle Robertson Consulting Pty Ltd t/as DR Care Solutions
When considering aged care care options, it is important to understand your current situation, personal goals, individual care needs in addition to understanding how much money you will need, you can then select the best care option for your individual circumstances. Aged Care is not a one size fits all model. In fact, the recent Aged Care Reforms cater to the individual needs of the consumer to ensure that they are able to exercise their choice in ageing. So, what is the difference?
A Residential Aged Care Facility offers full care services with staff available to provide care to you or your loved one 24 hours a day 7 days a week. There are several residents living together in a facility (some have small numbers of residents and others are larger). Services include on-call staff for nursing care, physical assistance, meals, basic accommodation-related services such as furnishings, cleaning services and general laundry, bedding, maintenance of buildings and grounds. Each facility varies in size, service type, specialities, fees and services. You have a choice of rooms, facilities and extra services that you may want (often for an extra cost).
Access to care whilst living in your own home is available through funded programs as well as private ‘fee for service’ care providers. Options can vary from low needs such as companionship, housekeeping, shopping and meal preparation to complex care such as 24 hour live in support and end of life care. Similar support services can be provided to that of residential care with the key difference being that you are living at home and the level of access to each care type varies. The home could be an apartment / villa in a retirement village, a strata apartment, a townhouse or a stand-alone home.
Both of these options can cater to your individual needs and offer the following:
There are a few key differences; these include:
A few considerations which impact your decision should include:
There are many considerations when deciding what the best aged care option is for you or your loved one. Residential aged care and in-home aged care are two of the most common options yet there are new types of care models / facilities becoming available.
At DR Care Solutions, we see more and more clients remaining at home for much longer with good quality Home Care Providers from 3 hours a week right through to 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Government funding is sourced in conjunction with ‘fee for service care’ to get the right amount of assistance for your particular situation. We tailor the care to suit your needs.
Many people tend to move into residential care towards the ‘end of life’. Alternatively, if their physical and cognitive impairments diminish or their family situation or financial constraints prevent them from remaining at home, they move into an environment to suit their specific needs.
For assistance in reviewing care or accommodation options for your loved ones; including the need to develop a plan specifically for their needs, wants and wishes, please contact Danielle Robertson at DR Care Solutions for a chat.