I’m helping my parent with short-term restorative care. How do we manage the care, breaks, complaints, and future needs?
It’s thoughtful of you to help your parent navigate short-term restorative care. Here’s a detailed guide to managing their care, understanding their rights, and planning for future needs.
Service Provider’s Responsibilities
Your parent’s care provider is responsible for:
- Respecting Their Rights:
- Their rights are protected by the Charter of Aged Care Rights, ensuring dignity, respect, and fairness, regardless of whether care is delivered at home, in the community, or a residential setting.
- Providing Quality Services:
- Services must meet the Aged Care Quality Standards, which outline what to expect in terms of care quality and safety.
- Read more about Aged Care Quality Standards.
- Considering Future Care Needs:
- As your parent’s care period ends, the provider will help plan the next steps through an “exit strategy” in the care plan. This might involve:
- New Assessments: To explore additional support like the Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP) or a Home Care Package.
- Repeat Care: If goals weren’t met, they might recommend a second round of short-term restorative care (available twice in a 12-month period).
- As your parent’s care period ends, the provider will help plan the next steps through an “exit strategy” in the care plan. This might involve:
Taking Breaks from Care
Your parent can take up to seven days of leave during their short-term restorative care for any reason. Here’s how it works:
- Leave Does Not Affect Care Days: The seven days won’t count towards the maximum care duration.
- No Daily Care Fees During Leave: You won’t be charged daily care fees while on leave, but fees for certain aids (e.g., a wheelchair) may still apply.
- Hospital Stays: If your parent needs to go to the hospital for a day procedure or overnight stay, the care plan will continue, and leave isn’t needed.
- Check the Agreement: The Flexible Care Agreement outlines any fees that might apply during leave.
Ending Short-Term Restorative Care
Your parent can choose to stop care at any time. The Flexible Care Agreement will detail the conditions for ending the service. If additional care is needed, call My Aged Care on 1800 200 422 to explore other care options.
Assessment Validity
- Six-Month Validity: The assessment decision is valid for six months. If your parent hasn’t started services within that time, they will need to be reassessed.
- Example: If approval is given on 14 December, services need to begin by 15 June of the following year.
- Checking Approval: Contact My Aged Care to confirm if the approval is still valid.
Handling Concerns and Complaints
If there are issues with the care provided:
- Talk to the Provider:
- Discuss your concerns directly with the service provider. They are there to support and address any issues.
- Further Steps:
- If the issue isn’t resolved, you can lodge a complaint with the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission.
- Advocacy Support: The Older Persons Advocacy Network (OPAN) offers free assistance to help navigate concerns.
Final Thoughts
Managing short-term restorative care can be challenging, but knowing your parent’s rights and available support makes it easier. Stay in touch with the provider, understand the care plan, and reach out to advocacy services if needed.
