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Short term classifications
In addition to your ongoing Support at Home funding, you can be assessed by My Aged Care to receive short-term funding from these three short-term classifications:
- Assistive Technology and Home Modifications Scheme
- Short-term Restorative Care Pathway
- End of Life Pathway
Assistive Technology and Home Modifications Scheme
The AT-HM scheme supports older people to live at home and within their community with increased independence, safety, accessibility and wellbeing. This will provide access to upfront funding for products, equipment and home modifications. You can access both assistive technology and home modifications funding tiers at the same time, if needed.
Short-term Restorative Care Pathway
The Restorative Care Pathway is an approach to care that focuses on early intervention through intensive clinical care, support and monitoring. The aim of this is to maintain or regain function and to reduce or prevent functional decline. An episode of restorative care provides up to 16 weeks of intensive allied health and/or nursing services aligned to a participant’s assessed needs. Each restorative care episode provides a unit of funding of up to $6,000.
End of life Pathway
People who have three months or less to live may wish to spend this time at home, with extra support to live in comfort. This funding stream gives those people access to up to $25,000 to be used over that 12 weeks, for in-home aged care services in addition to services they may be receiving from Palliative Care schemes.
Home Modifications and Assistive Technology Scheme
Assistive Technology and Home Modifications Scheme Participants will have upfront access to assistive technology and home modifications through a separately funded scheme. This means people will no longer have to wait while they save up funding for these supports.
What is covered in the scheme?
There are five main categories of assistive technology and home modifications:
- Managing body functions
- Self-care
- Mobility
- Domestic life
- Communication and information management
- Home modifications
Support at Home makes it easier to access assistive technology, with a new equipment loan scheme through EnableNSW, plus support for home modifications. The loan scheme works like a rent-to-own option for equipment, so you can get what you need without upfront costs, and own it over time if that is appropriate.
Grandfathered Home Care Package recipients who have not been reassessed under Support at Home are eligible to access the Assistive Technology and Home Modifications Scheme, however they must first use any unspent Home Care Package funds they have available.
Home Modifications
During your aged care assessment, the assessor will look at your home environment consider your functional abilities to decide if you are eligible for funding for home modifications.
These are installations or adaptations to the property, such as:
- grab rails in the shower or bathroom
- internal and external handrails
- ramps and stair lifts
- bathroom redesign (e.g. changing the layout to improve accessibility)
- widening doorways and passages (e.g. to allow for wheelchair access).
You have 12 months to use the funding for most Home Modifications. However for complex work you can apply for an extension to the time period by providing evidence to Services Australia.
| 3 funding tiers for Home Modifications | |
|---|---|
| LOW | $500 |
| MEDIUM | $2,000 |
| HIGH | $15,000 |
Assistive Technology
Assistive technology describes items, equipment or products designed to help older people do things more easily or complete activities they can no longer do independently.
Examples of assistive technology include:
- mobility equipment such as walking sticks, walking frames and wheelchairs
- toileting supports such as bedpans and commodes
- bathing devices including shower chairs and bath boards.
The assistive technology scheme may also include services delivered by a suitably qualified health professional such as prescription, advice and wraparounds that help to match a person, their goals and their environment with specific products and equipment.
| 3 funding tiers for Assistive Technology | |
|---|---|
| LOW | $500 |
| MEDIUM | $2,000 |
| HIGH | $15,000 |
Short-term Restorative Care Pathway
The Short-term Restorative Care Pathway is an intensive short-term period of care that is designed to prevent or delay the decline of health and help an older person manage new or changing age-related conditions through reablement education and skill-building.
It involves a program of treatment and education by a multidisciplinary team of allied health and/or nursing professionals. For example, the team may include a physiotherapist, occupational therapist and dietitian. The multidisciplinary team would work together to provide the older person with a comprehensive, outcome-focused treatment plan and clinical supports.
Restorative care intervention may be recommended for a range of reasons, within the scope of the clinical guidelines. The program might benefit older people who:
- are at risk of falls
- are frail
- have sarcopenia and/or multimorbidity
- have dementia
- require support with their mental wellbeing and social connections
- require nutritional support
- suffer from swallowing difficulties.
At the end of the period of Restorative Care, the restorative care partner will complete an Exit Plan which considers the next steps for the older person’s care. Your Care Partner might suggest reviewing your Support Plan to request additional funding or a raise in your ongoing classification level.
Care management for the period of Short Term Restorative Care is included in the Restorative care budget, it is not deducted from the provider’s care management pooled funds.
End of Life Pathway
The End-of-Life Pathway will support participants who have been diagnosed with 3 months or less to live and wish to remain at home, by providing funding to access in-home aged care services.
