Self Managed Home Care Packages Explained

Home Care packages help users maintain their independence despite the hurdles age or disability may put in front of them, and “self-managed” Home Care Packages are designed for this very reason too.

If you have read about the option to “self-manage” your home-care package and wondered exactly what that meant, this guide will help you make up your mind whether it is the best option for you and your needs.

What is a self-managed package?

Providers charge a fee to deal with all the organisation and paperwork of the Home Care Package. A self-managed package will save most of these fees here and give the user more control over the distribution of their own Home Care Package, but will require the user (or someone on their behalf) to deal with all the extra work that goes into organising the help itself.

Every Home Care Package requires at least one care manager to oversee the use of the funds- in a fully-managed plan that is the service provider; in a self-managed plan that is the user (or an appointed friend/family member); or a partnership can be agreed to share the responsibilities between user and provider.  

Self-managing your Home Care Package gives you the responsibility for:

• Managing your budget by choosing your care services, your support workers and your providers

this includes paying service providers, plus keeping an eye on your budget and ensuring all expenditure is on NDIS-approved services and purchases.

• Managing your independent support workers

this includes finding suitable workers, checking their certifications/qualifications, and managing your schedule together.

• Scheduling all your appointments

this includes arranging and coordinating all the help you need.

Pro’s

1. More control over your package funds
2. The power to negotiate with providers on how much you pay for your support services
3. More choice over your independent support worker
4. Less money lost on fees = more money for services

Con’s

1. Can mean a lot of extra work
2. Requires a good organisational mind
3. Can take up a lot of time and a lot of stress

So, should I self-manage?

Self-managed packages can be a great way to maintain more control over how and where your Home Care Package budget is spent. And, of course, give you more funds to spend on the Home Care Package services.

They can also mean a lot more work and stress at a time when you are not best equipped to handle it.

Whether it is right for you will depend on you and the nature of your restrictions.

If you are a skilled organiser, accustomed to juggling a budget and happy to deal with the admin behind hiring staff, scheduling and dealing with any issues that may arise here, then a self-managed plan could be good for you.

If your needs are greater and all the extra effort is likely to add stress you could do without, self-management may be best for you.

Everyone’s abilities, needs and situations are different, but we hope this guide has given you a better understanding of what self-managed Home Care Packages are and whether they are best for you.

Haisey Home Care offers low admin rates of only 23%, compared to fees upwards of 35% elsewhere, so even if you choose a managed plan, your funds will go further with us.

If you have any questions or would like to talk to us about your needs, please get in touch with us here.

Further details:

https://www.agedcareguide.com.au/information/self-managing-your-home-care-package

Council On Aging Australia (CODA) Self-management toolkit