Consumer confusion over home care packages

The Department of Health is reviewing the letters sent to consumers as survey shows a significant proportion of older people are confused about how to access their package.

The Department of Health is reviewing the letters sent to consumers as part of the new home care system in light of research showing a significant proportion of older people are confused about how to access their package.

According to a department survey of 500 consumers who had not yet taken up their assigned package, 48 per cent said they needed more time than the current 56 days to select a provider and requested a 28-day extension.

Of the remaining consumers, 45 per cent told the department they did not understand what they needed to do next to activate their package. Consumers highlighted a range of reasons including indicating:

  • they had not received the government letter (20 per cent)
  • they didn’t understand the letter (20 per cent) or
  • had not read it (5 per cent).

Others were still deciding if they wanted to access a home care package at this point in time.

Fiona Buffinton, first assistant secretary aged care access and quality, told a Senate estimates hearing on 30 May the department was adjusting its processes in response to better understanding consumer behaviour in the new client-driven home care market.

Specifically, the department was reviewing its communication to consumers to ensure its letters were clear and easy to understand, Ms Buffinton told the senate committee.

As previously reported by Community Care Review, the findings highlight how insufficient knowledge and navigation support are acting as barriers for some older people to take up an assigned package.

The National Aged Care Alliance has been calling for a consumer support platform to enhance the information and supports available to older people accessing aged care.

Department officials also revealed:

  • at 26 May, the government has released 30,057 home care packages under the new system, of which 25 per cent (7,635) were new packages.
  • 16 per cent of the 30,000 packages allocated were considered high priority packages,.
  • overall, one third of packages were assigned to existing consumers as an upgrade from a lower level package.

The department confirmed to the hearing it would not be releasing data on waiting times for a package until the end of July.

Workforce

Elsewhere, the department confirmed the aged care workforce strategy to be developed by the new industry taskforce would be an industry document and not “advice to government”.

The industry-led taskforce would also not include any ministerial or departmental members. However the department said it would support the taskforce to connect with other relevant government departments such as immigration and education.

In this month’s budget, the government provided $1.9 million over two years to establish and support an industry-led aged care workforce taskforce.

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Tags: budget-2017, department-of-health, february-2017-changes, home-care-packages, policy, senate-estiamtes,

2 thoughts on “Consumer confusion over home care packages

  1. Thank you for providing this important information to home care package providers. Let’s hope the mystery and confusion surrounding the new system for accessing Home Care Packages will reduce for the benefit of seniors, including those from various ethnic backgrounds.

  2. Having been processed through the system over the last few months as a new recipient of an In Home Care Package, it is entirely understandable that few older people are able to successfully navigate their way through the new system. “Newspeak” seems to be a common feature of much of the available documentation. Unless you are lucky enough to find someone willing to help you who is also knowledgeable, it is all but impossible for a normal person to understand the information and communications from the many parties involved in the process. It is very stressful and time consuming to apply, go through the evaluations and then have a package approved, listed and assigned to a selected provider. I spent six months working on my case, almost every day and I was considered “High Priority”. I could not count the number of phone calls, emails and meetings and assesments I had to go though. I am still recovering from the impact on my health of this process itself. Whilst in general I support the aim of the recent changes, the reality of what the “consumer” has to go through is just horrible.

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