Benetas Support at Home Estimator makes understanding home care costs easier

Benetas has developed a tool to help Victorians optimise how they use their Support at Home funding to receive the care they need.

Changes to home care have been introduced as part of the new Support at Home system, which was brought in as part of the new Aged Care Act on Saturday, 1 November.

The Support at Home Budget Estimator was developed by Benetas to help current and prospective clients better understand and optimise the services they can afford in an easy-to-navigate, interactive way.

People can use the Estimator to test different funding and service scenarios and see how their care choices, including frequency of services, can affect their out-of-pocket contributions.

The Estimator highlights how much care time users can receive with Benetas, making it easier to compare with other providers or assess value for money without the person having to provide personal information to get started.

Benetas General Manager Customer, Insights and Marketing Elyssia Clark said the Estimator was designed to give the community an idea of how frequently they can receive services including weekly, fortnightly or monthly, in order to maximise their package funding.

“It’s presenting people with options about the package that they’re entitled to and empowering them to navigate their care in an easy-to-understand format,” Ms Clark said.

“The Estimator aims to maximise your package by understanding it in a simple, clear and interactive way that highlights choice and optimises the care you need.”

To use the Estimator, participants will need to have applied for and received a Support at Home package from the Federal Government. Those transitioning from home care to Support at Home packages can also use the tool.

Once they have been approved, they can use their Notice of Decision, Individual Support Plan and Co-Contribution Arrangement to input data into the Estimator.

With this information, participants will go through three sections establishing their funding level, care categories and select services.

The estimator will then summarise the bundle of monthly services the participant has selected and highlights the corresponding care hours included.

You can use the Budget Estimator by visiting the Benetas website at www.benetas.com.au/home-care/budget-estimator.

The public can also contact Benetas via phone to find out more about their eligibility for home care support on 1300 236 382.