Getting started

At Helping Hand, we make it easy for you to access in-home aged care support that is tailored to your needs, backed by expert care, and delivered where you’re most comfortable

To get started, you will need to have an assessment with My Aged Care, the Commonwealth Government’s starting point on your aged care journey. The first step is to check your eligibility for assistance. You, a family member or a friend can call My Aged Care at 1800 200 422 or visit their website myagedcare.gov.au. Have your Medicare and pension numbers handy, along with your personal information. My Aged Care will arrange an assessment to determine your needs and work out what level of support is right for you. You can let them know at this stage, that Helping Hand is your preferred provider.

If you find the process a bit confusing, don’t worry, we can help. Just call our friendly team on 1300 444 663, and we’ll talk you through it. Once the assessment is completed, the My Aged Care assessment team will write to you to let you know the level of care you are eligible for. Call Helping Hand on 1300 444 663 to discuss your assessment and to start accessing help at home services. We will guide you through the details and personalise your care plan to meet your goals.

Helping Hand is by your side to make navigating home care services easier. We provide compassionate care to help you stay in your home longer.

  • 1
    Arrange Aged Care Assessment

    Call My Aged Care on 1800 200 422 or visit their website www.myagedcare.gov.au and arrange for an Aged Care Assessment. You will need your Medicare number and concession card.

  • 2
    Advise your prefered provider

    Advise My Aged Care that your preferred provider is Helping Hand.

  • 3
    After the assessment

    Following the assessment, My Aged Care will let you know the care you are eligible to receive and will outline your support plan.

  • 4
    Contact us

    Contact Helping Hand on 1300 653 600 for more information, to discuss the costs and to start accessing your services.

Connect with us to find out more

If you need more information you can call one of our friendly team members now, or request a callback at a preferred time.

Or if you are ready to register your interest in this service, you can do this online now too.

Advice about Help at Home

Female reception staff member on phone call respite care

Finding the right age care service is really important. We created a podcast to help people do just that by providing information and advice from people both delivering and receiving quality age care.

In the first episode of Age Old Problems: New Aged Care we discuss Home Care. With the help of Jo Carter Jones, Group Manager of Retirement Living and Housing at Helping Hand, and one of our Home Care clients Reg, we’ll help you learn:

  • The difference between Home Care Packages and the Commonwealth Home Support Programme
  • Who is eligible for Home Care
  • What sort of services are available
  • How best to start the process
  • The documentation you need ready, and other tips for making the process run smoothly
  • Where to seek the best advice
  • Why you should be open to help
  • And how accessing Home Care can make a happy life even happier!

You can talk to our Welcome Team with any queries about your account, on 1300 444 663. You can also contact our Accounts Department on 08 8366 5426 if you are having trouble with a payment. Please have your Client ID number ready – this can be found on your Tax Invoice/Statement.

The Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP) supports older people who are still managing well, but want some extra assistance, at home. Support at Home provides more care and support services on an ongoing basis, for people whose needs are more intensive or complex. Both programs give you support to stay at home, but there are some differences:

CHSP:

  • choose from a set menu of services – there isn’t much flexibility
  • only pay for the services you use
  • dip in and out of the program as you need things
  • have your eligibility assessed by the Regional Assessment Service (RAS).

Support at Home:

  • Our Care Partner Team helps you understand the system and work out a care plan that suits your individual needs and preferences
  • you can access Government funding for the services you have been assessed as needing
  • you may need to make a co-contribution based on your income and assets (this is determined by the government not Helping Hand)
  • your eligibility is assessed by the Aged Care Assessment Team (ACAT).

The cost of help at home services varies from person to person, depending on what services you are receiving, and your own personal financial situation. The Government may contribute toward your care costs, and you may be asked to contribute towards them too if you can afford it. My Aged Care provides an overview of the costs involved on their website, and we also publish our fees for Support at Home and Elevate by Helping Hand on our website.

Transition care provides short-term care after a hospital stay to help you get back on your feet. You can have nursing, physical therapy and personal care services. You will need to have hospital staff arrange an assessment while you are still an inpatient, or you can arrange this yourself by phoning My Aged Care on 1800 200 422.

Qualified nurses can visit clients in their home and make them feel safe and comfortable. They can help with managing wounds, medication, continence and more. They can carry out health assessments and reviews, and help with monitoring blood pressure, oxygen levels and more. Our nurses are a great support for people who are recovering from injury or illness and need some help to get back on their feet.