What is a Home Care Package?
A Home Care Package (HCP) is a government-funded program in Australia designed to help people over the age of 65 with care needs related to ageing. It provides access to a range of support services that assist with daily tasks and care needs. The goal is to keep you in living safely and independently in your own home.
Home Care Packages are tailored to individual needs and are divided into four levels, which reflect the varying degrees of care required:
Level 1: Basic care needs (e.g., help with cleaning, shopping, and light gardening).
Level 2: Low-level care needs (e.g., personal care, meal preparation, and transport assistance).
Level 3: Intermediate care needs (e.g., nursing care, home modifications, and more intensive support).
Level 4: High-level care needs (e.g., more frequent personal care, complex nursing, and allied health support).
Each package is allocated a specific amount of funding, which can be used for various services such as:
Personal care (assistance with hygiene, dressing, etc.)
Domestic help (house cleaning, laundry, and cooking)
Nursing services (medication management, wound care)
Allied health support (physiotherapy, podiatry)
Social support (companionship, transport to appointments)
Home modifications (rails, ramps, etc.)
Recipients can choose their own service providers and work with them to develop a care plan that suits their specific needs. Recipients can also utilise HCP managers/coordinators to support them in choosing the right supports.
How can Home Physio Co. help home care package clients?
We can work with any people on a home care package to work towards their physical goals; whether they are aiming to get back to get back to high level exercise or activity, or whether it is just to maintain function - we have you covered! We can work on the following with you:
Reconditioning programs to build up your strength, fitness, balance
Progressing your mobility - including walking aid and equipment assessment and prescription
Rehabilitation for Neurological Disorders such as Stroke (CVA), brain injury, Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson Disease, Guillain-Barre Syndrome
Falls and balance programs
Pain management and guidance with manual therapy/massage for complex musculoskeletal conditions such as back and joint pain or sciatica
Rehabilitation post orthopaedic conditions such as fractures, joint replacements or post surgery
Keeping in good communication with other people involved in supporting you including your family, friends, Home Care Package manager and General practitioner!
What would an initial assessment look like?
Firstly, after the referral has been complete, we would reach out to your home care package manager/coordinator to sign a contract/agreement with them to ensure we can be involved in your care (and to show them our qualifications). This can usually happen straight away!
After this has been done, we will reach out to your best contact person to organise an initial assessment - may involve a chatting with you to get a good understanding of goals + your current function, we would complete a full physical assessment, complete outcome measures (baseline physical measures to monitor improvements), we would set up a service agreement, and then we would set up a treatment plan to work towards you goals!
We would discuss and book future appointments and agree on recommended frequency (depending on your needs, goals and budget)
Setting up a service agreement
A service agreement is a form that outlines what services you can expect from us as a provider, both of our rights and responsibilities, and a schedule of supports which outlines expected visits/funding that is required. The purpose is to ensure that both parties agree on the services that are to be provided and allows all information to be transparent. Service agreements are not lock in contracts and you can request changes or discontinue services at any time!
If you choose us, we make a commitment to you. We will see you for as long as needed - we will be as flexible as possible with appointments, will always be available to talk to, and go up and above for you to meet your goals.