A Realistic Alternative to Nursing Homes

Are there realistic alternatives to nursing homes?

The horrors uncovered by the Aged Care Royal Commission demonstrated the many shortcomings of the aged care system in Australia and our collective shame in providing seniors the dignity they deserve. Shockingly, in a survey conducted by National Seniors Australia in 2021 of more than 5,000 older Australians, 71 respondents stated that they would prefer death over a nursing home. One former registered nurse commented:

I don't want to ever be treated like those poor residents I saw, semi-conscious, with PEG tubes in place, and just curled up in foetal positions waiting to die. You wouldn't do that to an animal, so why should it be allowed for humans?

Despite the rhetoric of the government regarding the billions being invested into aged care, many people do not believe there is any reasonable alternative to nursing homes. The 2021 National Seniors Australia survey concluded:

The current system of home care support is hard to access and, in one person’s words, “woefully inadequate”, with many homecare recipients still relying on family to provide most of the assistance they need.

For someone assessed at Level 4, needing the highest level of care, the Home Care Package currently offers $53,268.10. According to the Aged Care Royal Commission, this has equated to an average of just 8 hours and 45 minutes of help per week. Even for those who manage their own packages, a comparatively cheaper charge of $42 per hour for in home care amounts to only 20 hours a week of help. It is hard to imagine how anyone requiring advanced care could possibly cope in the remaining 148 hours of the week. Paying for these extra hours privately is prohibitively expensive for most people.

There are numerous reasons why the current in-home care model isn't a tenable alternative to nursing homes:

• It currently takes between 6 to 9 months to be approved for Home Care Packages, with many people even dying before they are approved;

• The system is so complex, many people are unaware of what they are entitled to or how they can apply for it;

• Clients are being charged exorbitant rates (an average of $60 per hour) for simple tasks such as cleaning and gardening;

• A quarter of the total home care packages are used on administrative and management costs;

• The resulting limited hours of care are insufficient compared to the level of need.

Angel Assist has created an alternative to nursing homes that isn't prohibitively expensive and that can be stepped up according to the level of need:

1. We arrange an Angel Assistant (a helpful housemate) who receives free food and board in return for a set number of hours of chores per week. The chores do not require a high degree of training and can include cleaning, shopping, gardening, mowing and cooking etc. With the current shortage of housing, the angel Assistant benefits by relieving them of housing stress and enabling them to build up their savings. You benefit by having someone around who can offer companionship, safety and support.

2. If you have a high level of need and both you and your Angel Assistant meet the government's requirements, it is possible to arrange for your live-in carer to receive the Carer Payment of up to $967.50 per fortnight and the Carer Allowance of $136.50 per fortnight. This equates to $552 per week plus the free food and board. In this instance, your Angel Assistant must provide you with full-time care and is not allowed to spend more than 25 hours working outside your home. For Angel Assistants who will be providing this higher level of care, we arrange training to make sure they are capable of meeting your increased needs.

3. If you have complex care needs, we can refer you to fully qualified supporting staff who are trained in either nursing or disability/aged care. These staff are paid on an hourly basis and can help you with medication management, wound care, grooming and personal hygiene. It is possible to use your Home Care Package to pay for these staff.

If you like, we can also refer you to a case worker to help you navigate the system and coordinate your daily care requirements. They will simplify the entire process for you and give you a single point of contact who can be with you at every step in your journey. Your case worker will help you apply for every applicable grant, arrange medical appointments and allied health care, attend appointments with you, communicate your needs, manage your care team and provide regular random checks to ensure you are receiving the highest quality care.

Angel Assist's model of care allows you to be cared for around the clock in the comfort of your own home while minimising out of pocket expenses.

Our system takes the complexity out of home care while incorporating the necessary checks and balances to ensure you have absolute peace of mind.

If you would like to learn more about our alternative to nursing home care, call us today on 1300 717 441.