Unlike previous years, this year we assisted a very high number of senior Australians seeking aged care planning advice for their future.
© Danielle Robertson Consulting Pty Ltd t/as DR Care Solutions
The client agrees the final copy of the Life Plan™ and this document is then the central reference point for DR Care Solutions, and also spouses, informal carers and family members, Powers of Attorneys, Enduring Guardians, Executors, etc, when it comes to following the client’s wishes with respect to care.
I drew up Life Plans™ for a large number of couples where one is managing a debilitating condition, or both are managing different conditions, physical and cognitive.
Where immediate residential care was required, I spent considerable time finding high quality residential aged care homes that accommodated the different care needs of the couple and ensured both were clinically accepted prior to touring.
Under those plans, I remain in touch with the client every 12 months to check on their health and wellbeing and to understand whether any of the support or care, agreed to in their Life Plan™, needs to be commenced. This “guardian angel’ role is one I am honoured to take on.
The year saw DR Care Solutions continue to deliver services across Australia, mainly in Greater Sydney, regional NSW, ACT, Adelaide, Queensland and Victoria.
I helped a number of families move their elderly loved one inter-State or inter-City – usually from a hospital bed into a residential aged care home located close to their adult children or back home with quality home care and support in place.
On a number of occasions I resolved care issues, that had been mounting for years in the minds of the family, in a matter of days. For example:
Angela called me on a Sunday in a state of distress saying she could no longer cope with the weekly commute from her home in the Upper NSW Central Coast to care for her elderly parents in Fairfield, Sydney. By the Tuesday, we had toured three possible residential aged care homes near her Central Coast residence. On the Wednesday we relocated her parents to the chosen Central Coast residential aged care home. Angela couldn’t believe we ‘pulled a rabbit out of a hat’ but we did it!
Another example was where Jim from Sydney’s East called and expressed his frustration of having his sister, living with dementia, placed on a 12-month waitlist of his preferred residential aged care home. I organised her placement in the home within two weeks. He was gob-smacked and thrilled. We toured two additional homes ‘just to make sure it was the right home for his sister’.
From Hope Island on the Gold Coast, Celia did not know what to do. Her husband, living with severe dementia, was adamant about returning home after an extended hospital stay. I was able to settle him into a residential aged care home which exceeded his (and his wife and sister-in-law’s) high expectations.
Several new NDIS funded clients were assisted to obtain additional funding and supports to enable them to remain at home. Whilst challenging, this is a very rewarding part of our work.
I assisted a significant number of pensioners this year with their home care needs or move into residential care, and continued to provide pro bono assistance to families unable to finance our advice services.
This past year, I found it increasingly difficult to place pensioners into certain residential aged care homes as, by law, those homes can only take 85% of the client’s pension to pay for their services. This means that full-paying private individuals are given preference.
A novel aspect of 2023 was residential aged care home providers engaging me to relocate certain residents to other residential aged care homes better equipped to manage the care needs of their resident.
Most of our new clients were referred to us by existing clients and my extensive network. I sincerely thank everyone for those referrals and their heart-felt testimonials.
My best wishes to all this festive season.
Warm regards,
Danielle and the DR Care Solutions team.
Need help caring for a loved one? Please feel free to call me, Danielle Robertson, at any time for an initial discussion on how to set up the right care, support and assistance at the right time and in the right place.
[1] DR Care Solutions: 5 Easy Steps 4 Care©