Services of Home Care Providers

With the establishment of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and the added support from government funding for Aged Care Services, Home care is increasingly becoming a popular choice among participants and their families residing in Australia.

What is Home Care?

Also called in-home care, home help, community care, in-home nursing care, or home support, home care refers to a range of services that help people remain living independently. It is beneficial to aging individuals or those who require assistance in living in their own homes, including those suffering from chronic health issues or have significant or permanent disabilities.

Types of Home Care Services

A person in need of care who can manage but need assistance with a few tasks may qualify for subsidised support services through the Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP). On the other hand, those who have complex care needs that go beyond what the CHSP can provide can turn to home care packages (HCP). These are also one of the ways that they can access affordable care home care services. HCPs are designed to provide a coordinated approach for the delivery of help to the person’s home or if the person requires more intensive care or has complex needs.

Services of Home Care Packages

Home care packages can include a variety of services that suit a range of needs.

Bathing, hygiene, and grooming

These services help the person maintain their overall hygiene. Their carer helps them with showering, bathing, and toileting, as well as with dressing and undressing. They also assist the person in getting in and out of bed, washing and drying their hair, and monitoring their medication intake.

Nursing

A type of help-at-home care, this service helps the person being cared for to stay well and independent by intending to treat and monitor their medical conditions at home. Carers perform wound care and management and ensure correct medication intake while consistently performing general health check-ups and other necessary assessments.

Podiatry, physiotherapy, and other therapies

Designed to help maintain movement and mobility, this type of service helps with podiatry, speech therapy, occupational therapy or physiotherapy services, and other clinical services such as vision and hearing services.

Meals and food preparation

Home care providers need to ensure that the person in their care eats well. They may also help with meal preparation while considering special diets for religious, health, and other reasons.

Impairments or incontinence

This service includes continence advisory services, dementia advisory services, and vision and hearing services.

Cleaning, laundry, and other chores

This service ensures the person’s home remains livable as the home care provider helps with making beds, ironing, laundry, cleaning like dusting and vacuuming, and unaccompanied shopping.

Transport

Designed to help get the person in their care out to appointments and community activities, this service includes the carer booking drivers and aid with shopping, attending social services, and visiting health practitioners.

Risks and Hazards of Home Care Workers

Home care workers are exposed to potential risks and hazards and should protect themselves by taking out insurance that is necessary to their current work setup. Below are the different types of insurance that home care businesses should have:

• Public and Products Liability Insurance provides protection from the costs of litigation if there is an allegation of negligence that involves a company’s business activities, staff, or products or services that led to an injury or damage to third-party property.
• Professional Indemnity Insurance provides cover for alleged acts, errors or omissions arising from professional negligence or breach of duty that results in property damage, personal injury, and/or financial loss to the person being cared for or a third party.
• Worker’s Compensation Insurance is a statutory insurance employers must take out to cover their employees in the event they are injured at work. In many states in Australia, the policy can be extended to cover the working directors. This covers for loss of earnings, medical expenses, and rehabilitation.
• Personal Accident Insurance provides cover for Individuals in the event they are unable to go to work due to an illness or injury. It is commonly purchased by individuals that are not eligible for Worker’s Compensation Insurance such as sole traders or working directors in states such as Queensland where they are not covered.

If you are in the business of providing home care services, make it a priority to get protected from any eventualities by taking out the right insurance suited to your needs.

About Optimum Insurance

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