The Client's Voice: How Aged Care Consumers are Driving Real Change in Home Care
This episode of Conversations with G&G is sponsored by Dovida Geelong, Bellarine and the Surf Coast. Dovida is a trusted local provider of in-home aged care, supporting adults across Geelong, Bellarine and the Surf Coast to live safely, independently and confidently at home. To learn more, head to www.dovida.com.au/local-office/geelong or call the local Geelong office on 03 5201 9090.
In the complex landscape of Australian aged care, having a voice is not just a right, it’s a powerful tool for driving genuine, person-centred care. In a recent episode of Conversations with G & G, we spoke with Margaret, a long-term home care client of Dovida Geelong and a key member of her provider’s Consumer Advisory Body (CAB). Margaret shared her dual perspective: as a recipient of care and as an advocate for meaningful change.
Margaret’s story confirms what many family carers already know: the aged care system can be overwhelming and confusing. However, her involvement with the CAB proves that when providers genuinely listen and create clear avenues for feedback, the system becomes more human and responsive.
Key Takeaways from Margaret’s Journey
The CAB: A Vital Link: The Consumer Advisory Body (CAB) is an essential avenue where clients meet to discuss systemic issues, offering non-judgemental feedback directly to management. Margaret describes it as a way to "put the issues forward" and create positive change.
Small Changes, Big Impact: CAB feedback often leads to practical improvements. A key example Margaret shared was advocating for larger font sizes on printed materials, a small adjustment that vastly improves accessibility and experience for older Australians.
The Value of Starting Early: Margaret strongly advocates for proactive engagement with the aged care system, advising others to register with My Aged Care before a crisis hits. Getting registered is the first step, ensuring the process can take place when support is truly needed.
Choosing the Right Provider: Margaret recommends seeking a provider that is transparent, has a positive reputation, and offers a strong "family feel". Her own choice was influenced by a provider's excellence awards and a clear connection to the local community.
Navigating Self-Management: While the Support at Home program will cap management fees, Margaret advises that for her, leaving the management to a trusted provider is a huge relief. It takes the pressure off organising services, like cleaning or lawn mowing, allowing her to simply enjoy the support.
Margaret’s experience shows that clients are not merely recipients of a service; they are active partners and experts in their own care. Providers who embrace this concept, like those with an effective CAB, are better equipped to deliver safer, person-centred care at home, directly supporting the well-being of both the older Australians and their family carers.
Learn more about the program or access resources to support your caregiving journey through the following links:
Department of Health and Aged Care - www.health.gov.au/our-work/support-at-home/about
My Aged Care - www.myagedcare.gov.au
Carer Gateway - www.carergateway.gov.au
Full Transcription - 14 Your Voice, Your Care: How Clients Shape the Future of In-Home Aged Care Feat. Margaret
Giselle
Hello, and welcome back to another episode of Conversations with G and G. Today we have a special episode lined up. We'll be exploring a topic that is absolutely critical to quality care, the client's voice in home aged care.
Giselle
Joining us is the incredible Margaret, who is not only a client of home care, but also a dedicated member of the Home Care Providers Consumer Advisory Board. Margaret will share her dual perspective on how providers should be listening to and acting on client feedback. Welcome, Margaret.
Giovanni
Welcome Margaret.
Giselle
How are you?
Margaret
Well, I'm still upright.
Giselle
That’s good to hear.
Giovanni
Thank you so much for being part of this episode. It's an honor to have you here today, but also as part of our advisory board members. And that's such a great, valuable, you know, input that you give us.
Margaret
Thank you.
Dovida
Now, tell us a little bit about how did you get involved in the first place with Dovida Geelong?
Margaret
Well, I knew that I needed to take care of myself and get care. I was getting to an age where I needed it, and so I did a lot of investigating on the web of all the providers. And I found this place called Home Instead, which is now Dovida. And I checked it all out. And because in my past life working, I had set up business awards in the Bass Coast Shire in 2003, and they are still going. And I knew what was provided to be, an applicant for those business awards, because I'd worked on all of that. And then I saw that you had won business awards, and I thought, that'll do me.
Giovanni
I love this story. Yeah, we're very proud of, winning that bigger, that big award or Geelong Excellence Award.
Margaret
And it paid you to have that on the internet because it inspired me. And you were the only ones I got in touch with.
Giovanni
Wow. And did we eventually meet up to your expectations?
Margaret
Yes. James, I think, was the person I spoke to at the time, and he was very pleasant. And he gave us all the information we needed and answered any questions I needed, answers to. And, and then we just had to wait until the time came.
Giselle
How long have you been a client? How many years?
Margaret
Hey listen, I am over 80, I can't remember.
Giovanni
A couple of years now?
Margaret
Probably 4 or 5 years.
Giovanni
Yes, wow thats a long time. Yeah.
Giselle
And how is that journey? How has the journey been?
Margaret
It's been good, actually. You know, I'm very impressed with everything that's happened. I've got. Well, I guess there's always something that can be fixed and made better. And that's what CAB’s all about. It's about the client getting the message across to the management and seeing what can be improved or fixed or altered or whatever that might be.
So I've enjoyed that part of the journey. It's meeting other clients and discussing how we can make it better for all the clients within Dovida. So, yeah, it's been a good journey.
Giselle
Wonderful.
Giovanni
That's so great to hear. And what about the caregivers and the care services you've been receiving? You happy to be both a consumer as well as a board member, in the sense.
Margaret
Caregivers. Brilliant. On time. Most of them do everything, but everybody does something different. And If I had a problem with anyone I know, I can take that to a CAB member if I wasn't a CAB member, I can take that to a CAB member to say, look, this is an issue we have. Is this something that management can do to change this?
So from that point of view, that's very good. But I think the clients need to know more about us. And this just might do it. Yeah.
Giovanni
Yeah absolutely.
Margaret
And I think we've discussed that in CAB meetings too, at great length as to how we can improve that. So there's a plus.
Giselle
Yeah, absolutely.
Giovanni
And well this, this kind of, you know, podcast is one of the ways that we, you know, we market our services and, the great things that we do. So I hope many listeners will tune in and understand.
Margaret
And you have surprises all the time. I've had, well, my last care manager came in and I thought, oh my goodness, she's grown. She's having a baby. And then I got a phone call yesterday from a lady called Leanne, and I'm thinking, why is she ringing me. She's telling me that, Olivia's not around anymore. What happened to her? But she's filling in for Olivia, and so she was very pleasant on the phone to let me know that she was the new care manager for the time being.
Giovanni
So that's a great example of good communication.
Margaret
That's right. It was good. So she said, I just wanted to touch base with you and I guess she was doing that with all of Olivia's clients.
Giovanni
And let me ask you this question. Right now, with Support at Home, care management and package management fees are being capped at 10% for everybody, including providers that offer a self-management option.
So 10% and 10%. Now would you, what advice would you give to participants wanting to choose maybe a self-management option?
Margaret
Do you know what? For me personally, I'd rather leave the management to someone else. And that's what Dovida do. I don't have to worry about all those things. I have a man who comes in and mows my lawns once a fortnight. He's there. He did it yesterday. Did a beautiful job. Gets rid of the weeds, does everything. And someone comes in, cleans my house and I think, oh, it's such a relief to not have to do that and to not have to organise it myself. So for self management, I'd be hitting the wall a few times, whereas with Dovida I don't have to because there's someone there that's organising it for me.
Giovanni
Yeah, that's a good point. Yeah. Very good. Well let's dive into CAB and what it's all about.
Giselle
Yeah. So the CAB’s the Consumer Advisory Body. So it’s a body of clients that meet. Can you talk to us a little bit about how often you meet and what you do in those meetings and what the CAB is all about?
Margaret
Well, I tell you what, you don't call them looking for a ride anywhere. It's not that sort of cab. It's a group of clients that have come together to discuss any number of things, to create change if needed. We've become pretty good friends along the way, too, and some of the meetings are quite funny.
We have a bit of fun at the same time, and we are well fed too, we’re given lunch, which is even better when you haven't eaten. But I think it's very important because there needs to be a link between the client and the management, and that's what CAB is about. So if the clients have got an issue, they can contact anyone in CAB and there's a few others, to put the issues forward and we can bring it to the table, which goes to the board if necessary.
But it also goes to the management of the Dovida. So it is very good, we have long discussions there about any number of things that we see as important on behalf of the clients.
Giselle
And I know there's been so many things that the organisation have implemented because of the CAB, which is excellent.
Margaret
That’s right.
Giselle
As an example, text size when we, you know, print out materials for clients. One of the key things that the CAB put forward is that the font is too small. So that was a big, you know, it seems like something small, but obviously when you go to the clients and speak to them about it, that's when those changes can happen.
Margaret
That's right. And it's sometimes just the small changes that make the difference.
Giselle
Yes.
Margaret
But there are other things that are bigger and need more attention from management. But if you don't have someone, somewhere where clients can go to talk to management, they don't get done. Because they don't talk to management often or don't know how to or they don't or they're frighten to sometimes. They think it's too hard. So if they know they've got an avenue, like CAB to go through, who can sort all that out for them before it gets to where it needs to go. Then I think that's a very important avenue.
Giselle
I think sometimes, what we hear even sometimes from CAB members is that I don't want to bother. I don't want to bother anyone. So I'll just stay quiet. And I think that's the advantage of having the CAB, because it is someone that's not the organisation that can assist with some of those things.
Margaret
It is. Oh what's the word for it? There's a word for it. They're not judgmental. They take the request or the complaint and bring it to the table for discussion. And everybody's got different ideas, and we settle on something that goes to the management and the board or wherever it needs to go from there to be fixed. So I think it's a very important thing.
Giselle
Yeah. It's really representing the client body. So yeah.
Margaret
Yeah it needs that.
Giselle
And it needs that.
Margaret
Yeah it does need that. It just we need to let the clients understand that the avenue is available to them.
Giselle
Yes.
Margaret
We need to find a really good way of doing that.
Giovanni
Yes. That's so true. And I feel we do a pretty good job in advocating that feedback sharing. And we are always very big on open disclosure. So make sure that any feedback is great feedback. And yes, and we thoroughly review all of that.
Margaret
And I remember I went for a job interview. This is a little bit off subject. I went for a job interview. And in that one hour in the interview, one of the people said, “and what would you do with the negative?” And I said, you know, “every negative has an opportunity to be turned into a positive.”
Giselle
Absolutely.
Margaret
And that's what I do at the time with everything that I do is and that's talking about me now, I don't mean to do that, but it's taking the positive attitude and saying, well, we can fix this. Let's take it to CAB. Let them fix it. And I don't have to worry about it.
Giovanni
100%. It's about how you are dealing with that negative feedback and closing the loop. Right. You want to make sure that the person that raised that feedback is kept in the loop and knows what we've done about it.
Margaret
That's right. It's it's, so often people say it's too hard. And it doesn't get fixed. And then they complain and then that goes out. And I know that if you have one thing go wrong in business, that by the time it gets to the end of people talking about there's another 600 have heard the story. So you need to have stopped that before it gets that far. And I think CAB does that.
Giselle
I think it would be important though to distinguish, you know, with individual feedback. So if there is a situation that a person's going through, it's so important that it goes to the organisation first. I think the CAB, the idea of the CAB is more to look at, the clients as a whole group.
And looking at their whole everyone's sort of experience together. Otherwise it could be a lot of work if the cab's looking at individual grievances and so forth. So I think it's important for clients to realise that their care partner is the first person to really go to, to have, solutions and things rectified. If something's not quite working very well.
Margaret
Yeah. That's right. And that's really what CAB is there for isn't it. To support.
Giselle
Yeah, yeah. That's wonderful.
Giovanni
It's been a great experience to have this process set up and wonderful people like yourself that has so much experience and knowledge that you can share. And as yourself, you are a recipient of government funded care. So it's so important that we hear from you firsthand and really understand how we can make it better for yourself and for everyone else in the program.
Margaret
The one thing that I like is that if I have a question in relation to My Aged Care, I ring my manager. And they put me on to the right track and I've just had an experience like that and no effort on behalf of the manager at all.
So it sort of takes that pressure off the client straight away when you know that you've got someone there that can listen to what you have to say.
Giselle
Yes.
Margaret
But they need to report it back to CAB to.
Giselle
Yes.
Margaret
So it's sort of a two way thing, isn't it?
Giselle
Yes. Yeah. Exactly. And My Aged Care can be a maze, can’t it. Trying to find the right thing.
Margaret
That's right.
Giselle
I think it's a hard step to make to pick up the phone and get started. And you talked a little bit about it earlier, but can you talk a little bit more. So you realised yourself that you needed, were you hesitant at the start or was there a key moment that you thought, I am really needing to get that support now?
Margaret
No, I originally was on the shire list to have, I had been sick and in hospital for a long time.
Giselle
Okay.
Margaret
For 13 months all together. And so I needed help to do my house then. And so it just carried on from there, and I thought, oh, this is pretty good stuff. This. I could handle this all the time. I really think I should have lived in the Victorian times when they had maids because I don't like housework. But, and then as I was slowing down, I thought I could leave this until I'm desperate or I could do something. And it's better to do something now with the time that it's taken to get to that point. By the time it got there, it was really. I didn't need it.
Giselle
Yeah, it's a good point. It's better to start the process.
Margaret
Yes, I know I've had this discussion with a friend and said she, but there's nothing wrong with me. And I said there doesn't have to be at least register yourself. Then you are there. Because from there on in, the process can take place when you really need it because you've already registered that.
Giovanni
Yes, 100%.
Margaret
Yeah. So, she still doesn't agree with me. There's always stubborn people out there, myself included.
Giovanni
That's funny. Yeah. So you mentioned that. So the first step is really to pick up the phone and call My Aged Care.
Margaret
Yes.
Giovanni
And register yourself into the system. And then from there, what they do, they organise the first assessment. Well actually the first screening happens right there and then on the phone.
Margaret
Yes. I don't always agree with what they do, but that I'm allowed to say that.
Giovanni
Yeah. And then they send someone out and sort of that's how they roll after that.
Margaret
Yeah but there is a starting point, is my point with her. She needs to start somewhere because you don't know. Well, she's been such a fit person and she's suddenly her knee has given out on her and she's finding she can't do what she did before. Now, if she registered and she finds out gets any worse but she needs the help. Well she's already been there.
Giovanni
That's great advice. Yeah, that's what we're trying to advocate to all prospective participants, you know, start early. You know once your there, you never know. Because it will still take a long time.
Margaret
That's right.
Giovanni
For you to be eligible to receive government funded services anyway.
Margaret
That's right.
Giovanni
You might as well get it started and see if you are eligible. If not, just, you registered. And when the time comes, you're good to go.
Giselle
And it is hard to have someone else in your home. I mean, that's, you know, inviting someone else in to help you is a hard step. But, I mean, I'm sure you as a client would have come across maybe, someone that came to help you and just thought it's not the right fit.
Margaret
That has happened.
Giselle
And what do you do? What did you do about it?
Margaret
Well, when I was with the council process, I had someone come in and I didn't do anything because I didn't want to upset them and make them lose their wages. You know, I've been in difficult situations in my life and money's been tight and I didn't want to do that, so I didn't. I put up with it.
Giselle
Yeah.
Margaret
But you shouldn't have to put up with it because they have a certain standard that they have to keep.
Giselle
Yeah.
Margaret
And you have a certain standard you have to keep as a provider. That it goes down the line doesn't it, if it doesn't work at the beginning. So I eventually ended up with Aged Care, with you people. I moved first for a start. And that made a difference, and so they weren't they. But yeah it can happen.
Giselle
It definitely can happen.
Giovanni
And do you feel like with us now, do you feel like you, you are empowered to speak up and share the feedback and change the Caregiver if you need to?
Margaret
Haven’t you gathered that at the CAB meetings?
Giovanni
Oh yes. But it's great to hear from you that you feel like you can speak up, and you have someone that can listen over the phone and organise a better fit for you and try again.
Margaret
I think I upset, Uma. Well, she kept talking about the ‘grandfather’, the new process. And I said to her, where's the grandmother? And I said, and she cracked up. And I said, you know what's going to happen now? Every time you mention that, you're going to think of me.
Giovanni
Ah, that's funny the grandmother.
Giselle
Yeah. Yes. The terminology in aged care can be, there can be a lot.
Margaret
Yes and I listened to a thing on the ABC where they were discussing aged care and it was really interesting. There are lots of difficulties around it, there has been. Lots of difficulties, not just from your point of view, but from the client's point of view.
Giselle
Yeah.
Margaret
Right through. So they needed to do something to sort it out and let's go.
Giselle
Yeah.
Margaret
Dovida are doing fine with me so no complaint.
Giovanni
Yeah, absolutely. And it is a complex legislation to navigate for both providers and also for consumers, participants to understand. And that's what we're here for, right. Trying to make it simple.
Margaret
And consumers get like, I get paperwork and look at it. And I think, can't be bothered. Taking all that in and my brain is too tired to take it all in. I need someone else to look at it. And will they look at it from my point of view and and, so it does create a problem.
Giselle
Yes.
Giovanni
Yeah. And then on the other hand, we're trying to explain things for participants, but sometimes there was the feedback we received last week. We provided too much information. It can become an overload.
Margaret
Yes. So that's right.
Giovanni
It's a fine balance. Right?
Margaret
It is. And it can be an overload. And I don't know how technical clients want it to be. I don't know. I know I don't. Because I've got to think about it and think hard about it and work it out. But, CAB makes me do that.
Giovanni
And, look, we are totally on board with you, and hence why we already starting to design a new newsletter for the clients. We really want to simplify even further. You know what these changes mean to you and add a little bit of fun as well. Not just dry information.
Margaret
Having done newsletters for the last 20 years, I've done a lot of different ones and I still do. I know even this old girl, she still knows one every month. I don't know why I just don’t know how to say no. But anyway, I've always said if you don't make a newsletter, the people want to pick up and read, then you're not doing the job, right.
Giselle
Yeah.
Margaret
And I have found that it's taken a while, but the reason they pick up my bulletin is because of the jokes. I was more never more amazed.
Giovanni
Yes you need to have a hook.
Margaret
Yeah. That's right. So, and there's lots of funny jokes that are clean out there. You got to have the clean ones.
Giovanni
Yeah, you got to have the clean ones.
Margaret
But, but, you know, and people are reading it now. Yeah. Whereas they weren't before. You know, so it's about, it's a matter of making it simple and interesting at the same time.
Giovanni
Yeah. I love what you said. If you, if people don't read, it means you didn't do a good job. That’s so powerful.
Margaret
Well it doesn't say you've not done a good job. It's just you're not delivering the right information.
Giselle
The message.
Margaret
Yes. The message.
Giovanni
Yeah you know the newsletter is one of the ways that we communicate you know, important changes, important updates. You know, it's actually legislated it out. We have to do all that. But, it doesn't mean that it needs to be complicated. We can just, to make it simple.
Giselle
That’s true.
Margaret
You could have a thing where, just a suggestion, you could have a thing where the clients have an opportunity to ask a question via email. And you could answer it in the newsletter. You know?
Giovanni
That's a good one.
Margaret
Thumbs up or thumbs down.
Giovanni
An FAQ
Margaret
As simple as that. Yes.
Giovanni
That's another good advice. Your always getting feedback right? Right here.
Giselle
Yes.
Giovanni
Yeah I love that. So you keep people interested and looking forward to the next edition.
Margaret
Well it’s a bit like a letter to the editor in a way is yes. Isn't it?
Giselle
Yes.
Margaret
It could be done like that.
Giselle
Yes, it could be.
Margaret
People could use a nom de plume and put the issue in there and you can deal with it. Yeah. I mean, I don't know whether you want to go that far, but, you know. The imagination starting to run again.
Giselle
And that's why you're on the CAB.
Margaret
I've always said that my ideas, five years ahead of themselves. And I did that when I was at work. I suggested an idea for a street, you know, why don't you do this? And they said, oh, she's nuts. Five years later.
Giselle
Really?
Margaret
They did it, yes.
Giselle
Oh I hope you got the credit for it.
Margaret
No, I don't want the credit. I don't like anyone else taking the credit for something I did, but I don't want the credit. The credit is knowing that it happened.
Giselle
Yeah. It's amazing.
Margaret
Yeah. So, you know, there's opportunities through your newsletter that you probably haven't even thought of.
Giselle
Yeah. So true. I love the letter to the editor.
Giovanni
Now, Margaret, just a bit of a final question there. What advice would you give to someone that, is starting the aged care journey in terms of, you know, trying to find the right provider and what are the things to look for? And now that you're part of the CAB as well, you have a better understanding of what happens behind the scene.
Margaret
I guess one of the most important things is select a provider that is transparent. And, I think that Dovida is transparent in the fact that it has a CAB, because that's the link between the client and the provider, which not every organisation has.
So I think that's very important. I love the fact that everyone's so friendly, which makes you feel comfortable where you are. So I think Dovida does that. I do hear complaints from other organisations that don't do that. And so it's about a family feel within the Dovida that makes it the choice, in my view, the best choice.
But that comes back to the individual and what they're looking for. And it's about, do they provide the services that I want or I need? How well do they do it? You know, do I have an avenue to the top? Which I do through Dovida. And what's its reputation? People talk about that, a company's reputation and look it up on the internet.
Just check out Dovida on the internet. Yeah. It'll have stuff there that will tell you. Have a good day. And compare that with others. And do they provide the same thing? Probably not. In my experience, from what I hear and what I have experienced, the feeling of family is very seen very well in Dovida because we're all there to support each other.
Giovanni
That's so beautiful.
Giselle
Yeah. It's lovely.
Margaret
Yeah. So that would be my thing that you would have to look for that. You want a family, away from family to help you do what you can't do anymore.
Giovanni
Wonderful. We also do that through, you know, client lunches and get togethers and.
Margaret
Yes, that's right.
Giovanni
So things will make you feel more included, in part, a part of this small community that we're trying to create.
Margaret
Yes and the community, and you make new friends. And that's to me, it's been very hard because I've moved around a bit and I've come to Bacchus Marsh and I've lived there for ten years, and I got involved in an organisation which allowed me for friends. But now I've moved to here in Corio and I don't have the friends, I really don't. And the only people I know, through Dovida.
And that's the truth. They're the only people I know apart from the lawnmower man and he's Dovida. And the lady who cleans my house and she's Dovida. So you know and I'm learning new people I'm mixing with a new bunch of people on CAB. And we're a good mates really aren't we. We give each other a bit of a hard time every now and again.
Giselle
What good mates should do.
Giovanni
It's such an honor to be part of your journey Margaret in this life stage of yours. And, Yeah, I genuinely say that. And I'm so. Yeah. I'm so proud of what we have and the ability to support people like yourself.
Margaret
I think that Brian sees me coming. He's another CAB member. He sees me coming in and he goes “what is she going to dish up today?” Because I have a go at him every now and again.
Giselle
I'm sure he'll be watching as soon as we go live with this.
Margaret
Hi Brian. Your a nice person, Brian.
Giovanni
Yeah. That's so good. Very good.
Giselle
Wonderful. Well, thank you so much for joining us today. It's been so nice to hear from the client perspective, the journey and, you know, your role in the CAB as well, and the contributions that you've been able to make, to Dovida and all of the clients that are with Dovida, it's been wonderful. So thank you so much.
Margaret
Thank you.
Giovanni
Thanks for tuning in to this episode of Conversations with G&G. We hope that today's chat offered some fresh insight and support for your caregiving journey.
Giselle
If you're looking for more tools, strategies, or just a bit of encouragement, head over to our website. You'll find resources to guide you every step of the way.
Giovanni
Whether you're just starting out as a caregiver or have been caring for a loved one for years, there's something there for you.
Giselle
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