Welcome to my first ‘Blog’ and my adventures on the ‘Ageing Care Journey’!
I thought I should ‘talk about’ what it’s ‘all about’.
It’s all about sharing – It may take a ‘village to raise a child’, but it takes a ‘community to care for our elderly’.
I hope by sharing some of my experiences, it makes for an easier passage for others navigating this journey.
The first step into the Ageing Care Journey starts with M.A.C.
For those of you uninitiated, M.A.C. is the acronym for My Aged Care.
As you’ll soon come to realise, everyone talks in acronyms – don’t worry, we’ll start a list of helpful acronyms to help you ‘talk the talk’ and ‘speak the speak’ in no time. And hopefully you’ll understand it!
So, M.A.C. I have found to be pretty user friendly. I prefer to talk to a human and the M.A.C. call centre is staffed by (for the majority), patient, informative, helpful staff and their call wait times are minimal compared with other departments, suppliers, associations, and the likes that you will be dealing with on your journey.
In my experience, it is better to register when you are eligible, rather than find yourself in a crisis situation or at a time when you are in a highly charged emotional state. Get the ball rolling!
It made life a lot easier for me with the support of services available through M.A.C. when Mum, who was still living independently at this point, had a fall, and needed support to return home after her hospital stay.
Get the ball rolling!
Every person is unique, every case is individual.
- Check your eligibility – it’s quick and easy
Follow this link https://www.myagedcare.gov.au/eligibility-checker
or Phone 1800 200 422 to talk with someone. - Apply for an assessment on line
It will take about 15-20 minutes and you’ll need your Medicare Card Here’s the link https://www.myagedcare.gov.au/assessment/apply-online
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. - Wait to hear from the assessor who should call to arrange the assessment.
And now the ball is in motion!
What’s next?
- An A.C.A.T. assessment will be arranged to suit you at home (but there is generally a 4-6 week wait) or in hospital as an emergency assessment (should that be necessary).
- This will determine your level of eligibility for M.A.C. support/funding.
And then it becomes a waiting game until you are ‘Assigned’ a package (support services).
As you transition through this journey, you will encounter a few terms and acronyms that require further explanation/exploration. We’ll deal with them as we go and then add them to our Acronym list.
- M.A.C. – My Aged Care
- A.C.A.T. – Aged Care Assessment Team
- C.H.S.P. – Commonwealth Home Support Program
- H.C.P.(Package) – Home Care Package – Your level of support
- Level 1,2,3 & 4 – Level of Package – Type of support services and funding you are eligible for.
- Assessment vs Assignment
Get in touch if you want to know more about my experiences.
Check out the My Aged Care website – it’s got heaps of info.
Call M.A.C. 1800 200 422 if you end up in cyber-space like I do!
