Over 60 U3A members and friends attended the session How to Live at Home for Longer on Friday 1st November 2024. The program, which was presented by Phillip Dermody for Latrobe Community Health Service, gave information about how to access My Aged Care, the Commonwealth Home Support Program, Home Care Packages: How to Access, Services and Equipment and other subsidised Government programs.
Phillip told the audience that to access My Aged Care either by a phone call or through the website the person you are calling about needs to have their Medicare card number with them, and that it is advisable to have a list of the medical conditions that the person suffers from as well as a list of medications the person is taking. From that phone call you will then receive an appointment for an assessment for a Commonwealth Home Support Package or a Home Care Package.
Home Care Packages come in four levels and we were told that after being approved for a package there was a waiting time before one became available. There were numerous questions after the presentation.
The Home Support Package Scheme is currently undergoing revision by the Commonwealth Government. It is expected that the number of different Home Support Packages will be expanded from 4 to 8 in July 2025.
In an area like Benalla with a large ageing population, this information was very important. U3A Benalla have asked Latrobe Community Health Service for a repeat presentation shortly after July 2025 when information about the expanded scheme will be available.
U3A Benalla would like to thank Bill Billman, President of the Benalla Senior Citizens for making the Auditorium available when it became apparent that we could not fit the presentation into the U3A Room 1.
Margaret Jenkins
Phillip told the audience that to access My Aged Care either by a phone call or through the website the person you are calling about needs to have their Medicare card number with them, and that it is advisable to have a list of the medical conditions that the person suffers from as well as a list of medications the person is taking. From that phone call you will then receive an appointment for an assessment for a Commonwealth Home Support Package or a Home Care Package.
Home Care Packages come in four levels and we were told that after being approved for a package there was a waiting time before one became available. There were numerous questions after the presentation.
The Home Support Package Scheme is currently undergoing revision by the Commonwealth Government. It is expected that the number of different Home Support Packages will be expanded from 4 to 8 in July 2025.
In an area like Benalla with a large ageing population, this information was very important. U3A Benalla have asked Latrobe Community Health Service for a repeat presentation shortly after July 2025 when information about the expanded scheme will be available.
U3A Benalla would like to thank Bill Billman, President of the Benalla Senior Citizens for making the Auditorium available when it became apparent that we could not fit the presentation into the U3A Room 1.
Margaret Jenkins
