Aged and home care services

Need a helping hand around your home?

Sometimes it can be hard to do all the day-to-day things that you need to – you may forget to do things like eating properly, or you may find it physically too hard to clean the kitchen, change a light bulb or weed the garden.

Anglicare’s personal support team can give you help with day-to-day tasks and help you keep living at home, keeping your home environment safe and comfortable.

We are trained to support you with tasks such as:

• tidying and dusting
• cleaning your bathroom and toilet
• mopping and vacuuming
• rubbish removal
• changing bed linen
• washing, ironing and mending clothes
• cleaning your fridge and stove
• washing dishes
• cleaning cupboards and benchtops
• removing out-of-date food

Your team can also assist with shopping, paying bills, attending appointments and visiting the bank.

Nutrition and hydration are so important for good health. Your team can support you to prepare nutritious and healthy food. If you are diabetic or require a special diet, we can assist you with meal planning and preparation.

If you relocate into a new home or retirement unit, we can help you pack and unpack as well as clean your old and new home.

We can also organise gardening or window cleaning services from one of our professional contractors.

Your team is here to work with you to ensure that you receive the most benefit from your service.

Helping you live independently in your own home

Many older people choose to live at home for as long as possible, as there are many benefits that come with maintaining your independence for longer.

Your health and wellbeing are our highest priority. Our aim is to see you continue to keep living at home for as long as possible.

At Anglicare, we tailor our personal care services to meet your individual needs. We can provide assistance with:

• showering, bathing, and dressing
• all aspects of personal grooming such as styling your hair or having a shave
• supporting you to take your medication
• supporting you to participate in the community and remain connected
• maintaining hearing aids, glasses and dentures and attending appointments
• assistance with applying special clothing, footwear, braces, splints or compression stockings if they are needed
• applying topical creams
• continence support and advice
• help with mobility to allow you to safely access your home and community
• suggesting special equipment to help reduce risk and assist you to remain independent

Whatever you choose, you can be confident that our interactions with you will be confidential and respectful.

Maintaining a healthy, active, social lifestyle

Your personal wellbeing is important to us. Maintaining your social, family and community connections, continuing to exercise your body and mind, and focusing on the things that you enjoy will help you stay healthy, positive and motivated.

At Anglicare, our care focuses on your physical, social, emotional and spiritual health.

It’s important that you are able to continue to do the things you enjoy doing. Our aim is to see you lead a full life and remain independent.

With a focus on wellness and prevention, it is possible to improve your quality of life. You are at the centre of decision making, and we support you to achieve your goals.

We can help determine whether the use of any aid or item of equipment would assist you to continue doing the things that you enjoy. For example, installing handrails, building raised garden beds or modifying your home environment to assist you to fully participate in all activities.

We can assist you to participate in activities that you enjoy:

• plant and grow vegetables or flowers
• visit the library, church, theatre or cinema
• attend an exercise class to maintain fitness and mobility
• crafts such as knitting, needlework, flower arranging and scrap-booking

If you are visually or hearing impaired or you have a disability, we can access aids and equipment to assist you to be engaged in the activities of your choice:

• large print and audio books
• iPads, tablets and communication devices
• raised garden beds and potting tables

We can assist with making appointments with your dentist, podiatrist, optometrist, hearing and skin-check clinics. We can also organise massage therapy to address conditions such as chronic pain.

Our team can support you to reach your personal goals through a range of physical activities, such as swimming/hydrotherapy, Tai Chi/Yoga, gentle exercise/walking groups, weight loss programs, singing/dancing or bowls/golf.

Anglicare’s Pastoral Care service is also available to offer you spiritual and emotional support.

Improving your quality of life 

There are many products and services that can assist older people to live independently. Your team will work with you to embrace technology that will improve your quality of life. They can also provide training and help you get the most out of your devices.

We can provide you with advice on various types of assistive equipment, such as:

• grab rails
• hand-held showers
• over the toilet or shower chairs
• over the bed frames
• medical alert pendants

New technology such as smart phones, iPad’s/tablets and the internet are increasingly being used by older people. Tracking solutions such as a GPS watch are valuable for people living with dementia.

Communicating with family overseas has become easier through Skype and other apps, which assist in staying connected to the people who are important to you.

If you have a condition that restricts your ability to live safely and comfortably at home, you may qualify for home modification, mobility aid or equipment. Your home-care package may fund the purchase of certain items, such as medical alarms, sensory bed lamps, walking aids etc

Larger items such as significant home modifications, outside ramps, motorised wheelchairs or customised equipment will require an assessment by an occupational therapist. We will discuss with you whether a request for assistive equipment or modification fits within the scope of your funding and personal budget, and explore any other funding sources available to contribute to the cost.

Helping you stay healthy and safe at home

Anglicare has a dedicated team of clinically trained staff who work in partnership with you and your family to maintain your health and wellness.

Helping take care of the carers

The physical and emotional demands of caring for someone can be high. Carers often find it difficult balancing their own needs with those they care for.

Your team is here to assist you in your role as carer. We can provide support, information, tailored services and behaviour management strategies if needed.

There are many additional responsibilities and demands that are placed on primary carers. We understand how important it is to be able to trust others to provide the same care and compassion you do.

We can discuss respite options with you that can include day-centre or in-home respite or residential respite. If the person you support is hospitalised, we can take you to visit them in hospital or visit on your behalf.

Grief and loss can be the result of many life experiences, including the changing health status of the person you care for. Anglicare has pastoral care services you can access, or we can source professional counselling if you prefer.

We believe caring for the carer is just as important as caring for others. To support this we can assist you with:

• Therapeutic massage can give stress relief, improve your vitality and state of mind, and address physical problems such as back pain.
• Taking a break from caregiving to prevent exhaustion and burnout, continue activities and friendships or attend carer support groups

Your team has the training and experience to provide support and companionship to people living with dementia, mental illness, disability, terminal illness or who are older and frail.

Help and advice you can trust 

During your initial assessment we work with you to select a range of services and products that can be met within your personal budget.

If you wish to purchase additional services from private or unspent funds you can determine the duration of these services. This means that you only pay for what you need.

You will receive a monthly statement that will outline your income and expenditure from your home-care package. Any unspent funds roll-over to the following month for you to spend later.

We will explain all fees and charges to you.

Anglicare will ensure that if you are eligible for the dementia or veterans’ supplement that the assessment is completed. There are other additional payments you might also qualify for.

Primary carers may be eligible for the carer’s payment and carer’s allowance. We can discuss these payment options with you.

If you have a power of attorney or your finances are managed by the public trustee, we are committed to working with the people that you have nominated.

Your honest and trustworthy team can take you to visit the bank and assist you to pay your accounts electronically.

You will have the opportunity to apply for some of your income from your home-care package to be pre-paid to you on an Anglicare personal debit card. This will enable you to pay for some goods or services when you shop.

Helping you get on with life

Many of Anglicare’s services are funded by government programs, however, Anglicare also provides services on a self-funded basis.

These self-funded services can also complement any government-funded services that you may already receive.

Helping you take care of your pet 

For many people, a family pet is a constant friend and a source of affection and comfort, especially if they are older and are a source of many fond memories.

Caring for a pet has shown to benefit older people both physically and emotionally, such as decreasing anxiety and depression. A pet also gives structure to the day, with the need for a routine to feed, play, groom and exercise your companion.

The responsibility of caring for a family pet brings daily chores. As we age, the tasks of caring for an animal can become too much to manage alone.

Your team can assist you to care for your pet, including:

• accompanying you on your daily walk or sourcing dog-walking services
• attending the vet clinic with your pet or accessing grooming services
• finding alternative care for your pet if you need to be absent