The differences between ‘free’ and paid provider finder services

Finding a Home Care Package provider can be a difficult and stressful process, particularly if you do not have your head around the system or are under duress.

Today, let’s take a look at your options to get some assistance, and the key differences between getting a service for ‘free’ or paying for help.

A ‘FREE’ provider service:

• Collects your personal information and some information on what you are looking for
• Takes your location into account (available with a basic search on My Aged Care)
• Takes your budget into account (the subsidy and fees are set and provider pricing is available via My Aged Care)
• Narrows your search down to only include providers that are signed up to pay them the fee – which for some is approx 7.7% of the home care budget (being $4700 of your available funds for home care services each year) As the provider cannot charge this directly to you, it increases costs across the board. Essentially the providers on this list are buying referrals.
• Broadcasts your contact details to a number of paying providers in your area, who will all contact you within 24 hours, bombarding you with calls. (Many clients find this either distressing, overwhelming or irritating)

An experienced, paid provider service will:

• Complete an in-depth home assessment face to face with you (and your loved ones as desired)
• Help you to understand what is available to you and what your options are, both within the My Aged Care system and outside of it
• Take your financial situation into account and provide comparison options to make sure that transition to a Home Care Package is the best option for you. We will never encourage you to take up a Home Care Package before you are fully aware of what it will cost you, or if there are more suitable care options that will meet your needs and budget better.
• Provides you with support to determine what you need and how you might use your home care package to its best and highest use to meet your goals.
• Helps you to understand what you can and cannot do with a home care package, so that there is no unnecessary stress or unrealistic expectations
• Uses their knowledge of local providers (not limited to those paying for referrals) and their offerings, including what they can and cannot do, will or will not do, specialised services, third party providers etc to ensure that your package meets your needs as best as it can.
• Does the legwork to obtain all the information you need to understand what you are signing up to and what your best options are – no sales phone calls or repeating your information over and over.
• Follows up to make sure that you have the package in place and that it is meeting your needs and expectations.
• Acts as another family member in meeting your interests as a priority.
• Does not take payments or incentives from any provider

If you decide that you would like a more personalised, hassle free approach to getting help, In My Place SA is one place you can go to ensure that you come first in all of your home care decisions.