Most of the clients I work with come to me at a point of crisis. The reality is that as much as we like to think we’ll plan ahead, we often don’t deal with things until they become an issue. A lot of the time people with ageing parents have their own careers, families and social lives. It can be hard to prioritise planning for their potential needs and feel easier to react as things change.
Whilst I will always be an advocate for advanced planning and knowledge sharing, I appreciate this isn’t always possible. So what do you do when you’re suddenly at a crisis point? When Mum has a fall and needs to go into care or Dad loses his license and needs to move closer to family?
It can feel impossible to navigate the minefield of service providers - to understand who they are, what they offer and if they actually care about your loved ones.
For this reason, the theme I’ve chosen for March is
‘Ageing Support Services’.
I regularly have people comment ‘I didn’t know people like you existed!’ when we first meet. People typically don’t go looking for aged care services until they need them and if you don’t know what is available it’s hard to find the right fit for your needs.
So today I thought I’d run you through some of the common (and less common) aged care services available so you know what to search and how to find them…
AGED CARE PLANNERS
What - This is what I do! Aged Care planners sit down with you to map out your ageing journey and help you access supports to keep you at home for as long as possible. They can help you navigate My Aged Care, access government funded home care, create a plan for when it’s time to move and assist you with finding suitable respite or permanent care.
Cost - varied, usually starting around $250 for basic consults to $500 for comprehensive plans.
Where to find - you can contact me via my website or on 0402 353 426 - I service clients all around Australia or you can Google ‘Aged Care Planners + your suburb/area’. Gail Miller from Aged Care Explained can also create an action plan and refer you to the right people - she works with people all around Australia.
AGED CARE PLACEMENT CONSULTANTS
What - Placement consultants specialise in finding you the right residential aged care facility. They are sometimes referred to as ‘bed finders’ and work with families to source suitable care for your loved one. They are especially beneficial for time-poor families, for clients with complex needs and for those who want to ensure they understand what’s available to them. This is also a service I offer my clients.
Cost - starting from around $1500 to $2500.
Where to find - I service all of South Australia, but for other states and territories you can Google ‘Aged Care Placement + your suburb/area’. Lovely Carina Curtis from Aged Care Planning specialises in this area.
AGED CARE FINANCIAL ADVISORS
What - Having specialised financial advice can be critical when setting up care for your loved ones. Good aged care advisors will explain the various fees associated with aged care, how you could pay these fees and how this may impact your other assets (the family home) or pension payments.
Cost - Basic advice starts around $300 with comprehensive assessment upwards of $2000.
Where to find - If you’re in SA, Drew Potts from Potts Duhring is excellent! For other states/territories, you can search via the SALT directory - here
AGED CARE SOLICITORS
What - From wills/estates to retirement village contracts, solicitors can help you navigate the minefield of legal documents you face.
Cost - Usually starts around $500, increasing depending on level of involvement.
Where to find - SALT directory has a great list of pre-screened solicitors here.
CENTRELINK ASSISTANCE
What - There are endless Centrelink forms associated with accessing a pension or aged care. And I’ve never met someone that likes waiting on hold to Centrelink. So why not outsource this to someone who can do it on your behalf? Great for time-poor or interstate families.
Cost - Prices start from around $250 and can go upwards of $3000 depending on how many services are managed.
Where to find - Sarah from Mynd Money Coach is wonderful with pension applications and Kevin from Pension Services knows the ins and outs of every aged care form there is.
SENIORS HOME OFFICE ASSISTANCE
What - This is a new service to me and an invaluable one! If you have ageing loved ones that are struggling to keep up with their bills, online payments or cash flow, home office assistants work alongside them to get this sorted. Many families don’t have the time to help their loved ones through this, so now other people do!
Cost - consults start from $180 with ongoing administration from $660/year.
Where to find - if you’re in SA, Sarah (mentioned above) from Mynd Money Coach will sit down with you and your loved one to make a plan. Otherwise Google ‘Seniors Home Office’ or ‘ Seniors Home Concierge’ + your location.
AGED CARE REMOVALISTS & DECLUTTERING
What - These services specialise in moving into residential care, decluttering your home and respectfully clearing out unwanted possessions. This is especially helpful for families that may be time-poor, interstate or physically unable to assist with moving.
Cost - Prices starting around $300 for 4hrs and increase based on time and number of staff.
Where to find - Google ‘Aged Care Removalists + your suburb/area’ or ‘Aged Care Decluttering + your suburb/area’
END OF LIFE PLANNING
What - End of Life Doula’s provide non-medical support to dying people and their families. This support can include ensuring Advance Care Directives are up-to-date, funeral planning, counselling to the individual and their family and support throughout the dying process.
Cost - Pricing arrangements vary, but hourly rates often start around $75/hr with packages upwards of $2500.
Where to find - Google ‘End of Life Doula + your suburb/area’
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SALT DIRECTORY
You may have noticed a few references in that list to a resource called the ‘SALT Directory’ - www.saltdirectory.com.au.
SALT (Seniors and Aged care Living Transition) provides a one-stop shop for all support services associated with transitions as you age. It is designed to be a single, central location where businesses that support families and seniors can connect with those moving into retirement villages or aged care facilities.
Every member on the SALT directory is screened by the founders to ensure they meet a standard they would use for their own mum or dad. It is a truly wonderful resource that takes some of stress out of navigating aged care services.
SALT will be hosting a free event in Adelaide on Tuesday 26th March at the Burnside Town Hall.
The day is split into two parts:
10am-2pm: Retirement Living
4-8pm: Aged Care
There will be guest speakers, Q&A forums and an expo full of aged care providers (including me!) ready to answer your individual questions.
Tickets are free and can be secured here.
Please pop by to say hi - I’d love to see you there!
I interviewed the wonderful founders Karen Keynes (KK) and Karen Taylor (KT) for the March episodes of The Truth About Ageing podcast. Their energy is infectious and I thoroughly enjoyed chatting to them about aged care services.
The episodes will be dropping on the 13th and 27th of March. The podcast is called ‘The Truth About Ageing’ and can be found in your favourite podcast app (Apple Podcasts, Spotify) or at www.navigateagedcare.com.au/podcast
I’ll also be posting regular updates on socials, which you can find at:
Facebook - @navigateagedcareau
Instagram - @thetruthaboutageing
Thank you again for being part of the Navigate gang. I’m super grateful to have you here and hope you’re having a beautiful start to the year!
Have a beautiful March and I’ll be in your inbox again on the 5th of April!
Big love,
Kate.
If you’d like to chat about your unique situation and gain a better understanding of options available to you, please book a free 15 minute consult via the ‘Book Now’ button below.