Aged Services

Aged Services provides a range of assistance options to frail aged people, people with disabilities and their carers, in order to maintain their independence and thereby prevent inappropriate admission to long term residential care.

The Aged Services Team aims to:

• Provide a holistic needs identification assessment within 48 hours of receiving a referral
• Put requested Home Care services in place within 5 working days of receiving a referral
• Actively provide information to Mitchell Shire residents about the range of Aged Services that are available
• Provide a well organised and coordinated system for referral, assessment and care management
• Provide quality Services that are accessible and responsive
• Provide regular (monthly) and relevant training opportunities for staff
• Implement funding guidelines in a way that adequately address clients individual needs

And is committed to:

• Providing services that support a safe, secure, habitable, healthy and comfortable home environment
• Providing assistance with activities required for daily living for people who are unable to continue to perform these tasks unassisted
• Providing a nutritious, appetising and culturally appropriate main meal for clients who are nutritionally at risk
• Providing carers with a break from their caring responsibilities
• Protecting clients right to privacy in the collection and storage of client information
• Providing an opportunity for social interaction through group and communal activities outside the home
• Providing professional nursing care
  

Services available include: (please note these services are available to residents of Mitchell Shire only)

Personal Care

Personal Care provides assistance with activities that people normally do for themselves but are unable to perform due to illness, disability or frailty.  Personal Care tasks may include assistance with:

• Bathing, showering
• Dressing or undressing
• Personal grooming, such as; shaving, hair care and grooming
• Mobility, such as; transfer in and out of bed, to sit up, turn, stand and walk, to transfer to commode, wheelchair or vehicle
• Eating, drinking, cooking, preparation and service of food and special diets
• Professionally prescribed exercise or therapy programs
• Fitting and use of appliances such as splints, calipers, hoists, hearing aids, and communication devices
• Monitoring of self medication
• Attending medical and other related appointments.

The usual number of Personal Care hours is 1.5 hours per week.  Clients with high needs may receive up to 3.5 hours of Personal Care each week.

Property Maintenance

Property Maintenance provides assistance with the maintenance of a persons home and garden in order to provide a safe living   environment.   Home Maintenance tasks may include:

• Minor repairs to a home
• Changing light bulbs
• Replacing tap washers
• Unblocking drainsWindow washing
• Cleaning of gutters
• Installation of grab rails, ramps, shower rails (this home modification service is provided following an assessment by the Occupational Therapist).

Clients are required to pay for any materials used when receiving a Home Maintenance service. If the work required is beyond the service’s scope, clients are assisted to access information about alternative maintenance providers.

The usual number of Home Maintenance hours 2 hours per month for cyclic maintenance and 1 – 2 hours per job for once off work.  Clients with high needs may receive up to 5 hours of Home Maintenance for once off jobs.

Delivered Meals

Delivered meals provide a nutritious, appetizing and culturally appropriately main meal delivered to the consumer’s home.  Delivered meals are for people who have been assessed by the Aged and Disability Services Assessment Officer, as being ‘Nutritionally at Risk’.

Delivered meals are pre-prepared and delivered fresh on a daily basis or frozen up to 7 days in advance.  Frozen meals are delivered for weekend meals and when delivery only once a week to isolated clients.

Where possible meals are prepared to cater for clients individual special dietary needs as assessed by a dietitian. 

Delivered meals tasks may include:

• Deliver a meal safely to clients home
• Monitor the clients well being and other circumstances
• Provide the client with information about the meal
• Monitor food handling and storage practices

The usual number of meals per client is one meal per day.

Respite Care

Respite services support the relationship between a person and their carer by providing the carer with a break from their caring responsibilities.  Respite can be provided in a variety of ways. Either in the form of planned regular respite, emergency respite, crisis respite or occasional respite.  Respite Care can be provided in the client’s home or in the local community. 

Respite services may include:

• Organising an enjoyable, age appropriate activity
• Taking people out to community centres, shopping, movies or other activities of the clients choice
• One to one support necessary for clients to attend community activities such as holiday programs
• Personal Care as required and normally provided by the usual carer

Respite is not available to provide care while the usual carer undertakes paid employment or unpaid volunteer work.

The usual number of Respite hours is 2 - 4 hours per week.