Navigating Aged Care with a Loved One During The Holidays
The holiday season, with its tradition of family gatherings, is the perfect opportunity to check in on our aging loved ones. Our December episode of Conversations with G&G provides a crucial guide on how to recognise when an ageing family member or friend might need some extra help and how to approach those sensitive conversations.
Recognising the Early Signs
It's vital to be proactive because older Australians may not recognise themselves that they need support, or they might feel embarrassed to ask. Overlooking these early signs can increase the risk of falls, faster health deterioration, and a decrease in quality of life. The goal is always to maintain their independence and keep them safe and comfortable at home for as long as possible.
Here are the key areas to focus on during your visit:
Subtle Household and Physical Changes
Changes in Daily Tasks: Look for small, subtle changes, like asking for help with putting on socks, or avoiding tasks like collecting the mail.
The Fridge Check: A common sign of struggling management is the stockpiling of certain items (like milk and bread) or the presence of expired, moldy food. This can indicate issues with management, diet, or memory.
Physical Appearance: Notice if they look pale, have lost weight, or if they are missing appointments. Hygiene issues, like unwashed laundry or poor personal care, can also be indicators.
Bruises: Unexplained bruises can signal a fall that your loved one may be hiding due to fear of losing their independence.
Memory and Mental Health Indicators
Medication Issues: Missing medications, taking the wrong thing at the wrong time, or doubling up are serious signs. A Webster Pak (a sealed dose administration aid) is highly recommended for safety and can be organised via a local pharmacist.
Memory Issues: Watch for things like forgetting names, missing appointments, or frequently losing everyday items (keys, credit cards). Burning pots and pans is a serious hazard that can signal memory decline.
Grief and Isolation: Uncharacteristic unmotivation or withdrawal, or simply watching TV all the time, can be signs of depression. The holidays can trigger grief related to the loss of a loved one or the loss of their own ability to contribute (e.g., cooking Christmas lunch), impacting their self-worth.
Navigating Difficult Conversations
When addressing these signs, compassion and sensitivity are crucial. Avoid making your loved one feel embarrassed.
Frame Services as Empowerment: Acknowledge their desire for independence and reframe support as the necessary steps to maintain their goal of staying at home. Services like in-home physiotherapy or domestic assistance take the pressure off, allowing them to relax and remain safe.
Focus on the Benefits: When introducing a new service, explain what they will gain. For example, getting help with meal preparation means they get to eat nutritious food and avoid hurting their hands with arthritis.
The Driving Dilemma: Discussing the end of driving is one of the hardest conversations as it signifies a huge loss of independence. Signs of concern include driving too fast or too slow, difficulty staying in the lane, excessive anxiety while driving, or frequent minor accidents (scratches on the car). If driving is a concern, providers can organise transport assistance.
Your Next Steps: Getting Support
You don't need to navigate this journey alone—there is a lot of help and government funding available.
Register with My Aged Care: This is the first and most critical step. My Aged Care is the gateway to government funding programs for eligible participants, covering services like personal care, meal preparation, and home modifications (like ramps or rails).
Call 1800 200 422 to register over the phone; have your Medicare card handy.
Choose a Quality Provider: Do your due diligence by talking to at least two or three providers in your local area. Look for a provider with strong community ties, transparent values, and a commitment to quality care.
Ask about staff training (police checks, annual refreshers).
Ask about their complaint management system.
Choose a provider that offers face-to-face visits to discuss services, cost, and the process.
Utilise a Case Manager: A Case Manager is a wonderful asset who can co-design a comprehensive care plan, aligning services with your loved one’s goals, and helping organise referrals for mobility aids and other specific needs.
Want to learn more? Listen to the full episode here, or head to our home page to discover other interesting topics to aid your caregiving journey!
Full Episode Transcription - 12 Navigating Aged Care with a Loved One During The Holidays
Danni
Welcome to today's episode of Conversations with G and G. With the holiday season fast approaching and family gatherings just around the corner. It is the perfect time to check in on our aging loved ones. Today, we're tackling a sensitive and yet important topic. How to recognise when your aging family member or friend might need some extra help. We'll be sharing a guide to help you spot the signs if someone in your circle could benefit from additional support. So, to kick things off, Giselle, can you tell us why it's so important to recognise the signs and what can maybe happen when these things go unnoticed?
Giselle
Yeah, absolutely. Danni. It is a very important thing to be proactive in these instances. Because sometimes our aging loved one doesn't recognise himself, that they might need some extra help.
So coming home or seeing a loved one after a period of time not seeing them is a really good opportunity to touch base and see how they're going. They might even feel a little bit embarrassed or think that they're actually managing just fine. So, if we overlook some of these signs or let them go, there are risks and there's things that might happen.
Might, see that your loved one might have a fall or other health problems might occur. They might deteriorate a little bit faster. Just their quality of life decreases. So catching those early warning signs gives us a chance to step in and offer support as a loved one. Whether it's helping out with everyday tasks or, just arranging for someone else to step in and help you, as well as a carer.
And the goal is really to maintain their independence for as long as possible and keep them safe in their home, making sure that they're comfortable and well taken care of.
Danni
Which is an incredible goal to have, isn't it? Because we all like to keep our independence?
Giselle
Absolutely.
Danni
So good on so many levels. You know, physically, emotionally, you know, our health and but, you know, just dignity. I think at that age especially.
Giselle
Yeah, absolutely. It's very important.
Giovanni
Yeah. The benefits to be able to stay at home for as long as possible, cannot be underestimated. You know, it's so good to be, you know, to stay in a familiar environment. And, just be comfortable with where you are. We mentioned before, it's okay to be proactive. Things can go wrong real quick. And if we don't take an approach there is, you know, systematic, I guess, and, and proactively looking after, you know, your health, can prevent other bigger issues down the track.
Dannni
Yeah. So I'm thinking, Gio, of someone that, you know, has a loved one that's aging. Maybe. Giselle. You're right. Maybe they haven't seen them for a while. Or maybe there's just a few little things that we are thinking. Well, what do I actually look out for? What do I, what are the signs? Yeah, because it's a big deal. And some of them are a little bit more subtle and less obvious. You know, them, starting to have a fall. It might be something like, well, hey, mum's not doing the dishes or, can we unpack that a little bit?
Giselle
Yeah, absolutely. I think it's a very good idea. Sometimes it could be something small, like they’re just asking for help to put on their socks. Yeah, it could be really small. They might do it as a once off, but then every time, they might need more and more help. Could be something like you notice that they're not collecting the mail, so they're not actually leaving the front door to do that little walk to the litter box and bring it back. They avoiding that task.
So there's really small, subtle things. And then there's the more obvious physical signs like they could be, you might notice some hygiene issues or not being able to do laundry, or they might physically look different, like might be they look pale, they've lost weight, they're not exercising. They're missing appointments. So all of those types of things can be an indicator that, they might need a little bit more assistance.
Danni
Yeah. I had a friend that had a bit of a combination going on in the fridge of all things where like that was stockpiling milk and bread. Yeah. And yet other things in the fridge would add a diet. And so clearly there was a bit of management not being able to be, you know, processed any more. And that was a big sign for them. Yeah.
Giselle
Yeah. Yeah. Absolutely. I think, opening the fridge is a really good thing to do and check what's in there that they've got enough nutritious foods so that that can give you an indicator of what their diets like and whether they're, having enough nutrition. And of course, looking at things that might be expired, so mouldy bread and so forth, you know.
Danni
The things that can make them unwell.
Giovanni
Yeah, sometimes they can be as simple as asking the question. Right. How's things going? You know, do you need a bit of help, with groceries and with cleaning, domestic assistance. Are you struggling? You know, mopping the floor? Yeah. You know, and things like that. So. And more often than not, someone will know, right? If they need a bit of help. Yeah. And, yes, there's a bit of that, that, that maybe you want to hide that and think that you can do it all. Yeah. But, deep down, I think it's. Yeah, I just need to ask the question sometimes.
Giselle
Yeah. I think one thing that we just need to be careful of is we're talking about the fridge scenario before. Yeah. Not making that person the loved one feel bad or embarrassed about it. Like opening up and saying, oh, you've got all this moldy bread. Like, then it's sort of that is embarrassing for them.
So being subtle and, perhaps discussing, taking a different avenue in that discussion is probably better for the loved one as well. Otherwise it can be a bit of an embarrassing topic if you're bringing up hygiene or things. Yeah, food expired and so forth.
Danni
And even something like you recognise it and just discreetly getting rid of it, popping down to the shop and Hey mum, I thought I would run to the shops and pick up some stuff.
Giselle
Absolutely.
Giovanni
Yeah, yeah. And also looking for bruises sometimes, you know, might have a fall and you think. Yeah, it's not a big deal. Just that a, you know, small little fall, but that can can be another trigger for, a sign that needs to be addressed. And perhaps you might need a bit of support.
Danni
Yeah.
Giovanni
With mobility. Right. And you want to have an assessment to make sure that you are safe at home and. And these little things are picked up by a healthcare professional. Yeah.
Danni
And the reality is most older Australians, you know, or older people in general do want to stay at home as long as they can. They do fear going into aged care. They do fear, you know, that loss of independence or that loss of ability to do things. And so sometimes, you know, they'll even hide a fall or hide what they're not coping with, because of that fear. So that's something that's really important to and to be, again, like you were saying, just really sensitive about.
Giselle
Yeah.
Giovanni
And Danni what do you think about some of the suggestions on how to overcome that fear? So, so if you, for example, a daughter of, you know, your mum or dad and, and you know, that, you know, there's a bit of that going on. Yeah. What would you say?
Danni
Yeah, I think it probably depends on the situation because people react very differently. I know for us, when my grandad was starting to need some help and some services after my grandmother died and he was very I mean, he was a very staunch Scotsman, very independent and strong. And he was I'm going to die in my own home. Like he was very firm. And so that was a challenge, trying to get some cleaning and some helping for him.
So we had to really frame it in what was absolutely truthful, which was okay, but it's clear that you need some help because of this, this and this. But our goal is to keep you, you know, in your own home. So by allowing people to come in and just take that weight off you, you can relax more, you can have it done and you get to stay here.
So he knew that we were actually on his side, that we were in a place where we were actually supporting his desires and his will to be independent, and yet still able to get him the help that he needed. And once he sort of had that reframe and he was able to think, and realise that we're actually for him and supporting him, it made a world of difference. That made him a lot more open to what he needed.
Giselle
Yeah. I think reaffirming with the loved one that they've got choices and they're in control. I think that's very important. First step. So making that obvious and then I think, I think setting that goal, speaking to them about their goals, I think that's a really good concrete way of then your loved one being able to, think about it in a structured way and then talk to them about, okay, so if your goal is to stay at your home, what what do you need? What can we help with? What do we need to set up for you to make that happen? I think that's maybe a good direction to take.
Danni
Yeah. Yeah. And I think with mobility, it's a really good one too, because sometimes they'll get to a point where it is hard for them to go out or they don't desire to go out because it's so much effort. And yet they need to be up and mobile to be able to maintain their strength. And like when we had, you know, Tim, in our conversation a few weeks ago, talking about, you know, keeping things strengthened to, to reduce falls. So even things like having a physio come into the home, and getting them on pedal bikes and doing exercises, is a way of still helping them to maintain that mobility and giving them more options. If they do need to get out for something where they're actually capable to do that, and they're feeling confidence in themselves, to be able to live independently is super important.
Giselle
So important. And I think when we look at, decline or people needing help, I think we need to touch on mental health and depression. Yeah, it's a very big thing when people do feel isolated or they've lost their confidence to get out and about in the community. Symptoms of depression, can, can be very, very real.
Danni
Yeah. And it can just look like being unmotivated. Yeah. I feel like watching TV all the time. Again, it's not always as obvious as crying. But then the other thing that can compound that, of course, is anniversaries and certain times of the year. So if you've got a widow or a widower and they were at home and they might be getting a bit emotional or edgy, sometimes you'll find if it's happened quite suddenly, that it's around an anniversary.
So it might be, you know, the lost loved ones birthday or, you know, if they've had a child together years ago that passed away, there might be something underlying in of course, you know, the common ones are things like, Christmas, Easter times that would be traditionally family times if they're missing someone or they're not able to maybe participate to the capacity that they would like to maybe, you know, in years gone by that loved doing the Christmas lunch spread and they just don't have the capacity to do that anymore.
So there might be grief. That's not necessarily related to death. It might be grief in relation to their aging and their contribution and their self-worth.
Giovanni
Yeah. And all those things they were able to do and can’t do anymore. Like gardening. Cleaning the house.
Danni
Yeah. And things that brought them maybe a sense of purpose or joy and those things are huge. You know, like there's so much loss and grief in the aging process. And so even helping with those things that we don't think about, you know, we often will go to, well, we look after their health and we look after, you know, their strength and making sure that they're eating properly and they're looking after themselves and they've got enough company.
But we forget about their sense of identity and their sense of meaning and their sense of purpose that are just as important, because those things bring joy and they bring motivation and vision. And as long as you're breathing, man you've got so much to give. Yeah. As an older person.
Giovanni
Yeah, I can't agree more with you Danni. And that could be the first one of the first trigger to losing the independence and, signs of needing a little bit of support to overcome that grief and, you know, giving you, you know, empowering you to do those things that you were able to do with a bit of help. Yeah. Yeah.
Giselle
Yeah, and I encourage any, anyone, you know, you as a listener to also look into trauma informed care. I think that's important for people to realise that the at the center is the person and they would have gone through lots of different experiences and that if they behave in a particular way around a festive season, it's understanding, what they've gone through that may have triggered that type of behavior and understanding that so that I think that's, important thing for your loved ones to understand.
Danni
Yep. And I think a good rule of thumb and a general rule over the whole lot of, you know, the ageing process and looking at for signs and all of that is to actually take into account, you know, who the person is and who they've been. But also to put yourself in that position, like, you know, what would it be like being them now in this position?
What would the losses be? What would the challenges be? What would I be thinking? Because it then helps you to step into their shoes a little bit. I mean, you know, we can't do that 100% because we can't get 100% into someone else's head, but it just allows us to open up to the compassion and to different perspectives that are outside of our own.
Because I think sometimes as carers and family members, we can be overwhelmed if we've got so much going on with our own families, with our own lives, with work, with our own grief in seeing our loved ones decline, that sometimes we can get so caught up in, in our own stresses, in our own flow of life that we forget to step into their shoes and and remember what it's like with them.
And I think that's the other thing, too, with services. Yes, it helps our loved one, but it can also take the pressure off us. And sometimes we can bear the burden or, you know, our loved one can even make us feel guilty. Like, I don't want anyone else to do it. I only want you. Well, you know, that's not the reality. And so if the goal is for the person to stay healthy and capable and independent in their own home, then there has to be a compromise.
Giovanni
Yeah. And so it's about understanding what those barriers are, and putting yourself in their shoes. Yeah. Trying to come to the same level and and and don't rush it. Right.
Dannni
That’s it. And remembering too, the barriers aren't necessarily roadblocks. You know, there's a thousand ways to skin a cat and. Yeah, you know, that, you know, to most problems there is a solution.
Giselle
Yeah. And I think, when having these discussions with the loved one, it's always a good idea to talk about the benefits. So if you're talking about getting someone to come in and help with meal preparation, you ideally want to talk about what is the benefit.
So this means that you'll be having nutritious foods so you'll be feeling full. You can go shopping. You can go out shopping to buy the food with your carer and so forth. So frame it in a way that explains what they're going to get out of it themselves. Rather than saying, yeah, you need to have some meal prep, you need to have ABCD. You want to talk about why.
Giovanni
Exactly right. And that domestic assistance, the same way
Giselle
It keeps your house safe and clean. It's healthier that way.
Giovanni
Decluttered.
Danni
You get to eat all your favorite food, but you don't have to hurt your hands with your arthritis. Trying to chop the carrots, you know.
Giselle
Exactly. So I think they're the real good conversations to have in this case.
Giovanni
Exactly and there is a lot of help out there. The government, has a lot of funding and there's a lot of programs, made available to, seniors and people living with disabilities. So, there's a lot of information out there in the community you can reach out to, you know, to providers in your local community. And, I'm sure they'll be able to walk you through, all the steps to get government funding or any, any, any sort of support and assistance that you might need.
Giselle
Yeah, absolutely.
Danni
I think another important thing to touch on too, is some of the subtle signs that there might be some memory issues going on, like maybe burning pots and pans, things like that.
Giselle
Yes.
Danni
I mean that can happen to all of us can’t it.
Giselle
I’ve done that.
Danni
I get distracted. I still remember my mum when I was a kid. My little brother was about seven years younger than me, and he'd just been born. And twice in one week she burnt all the dummies and bottles and she's sterilizing them. But, you know, it can happen to the best of us, but when it starts to become a bit of a reoccurrence and there's fire hazards and things like that.
You know, let's look at some of those memory things for a minute, because
Giselle
Yeah, absolutely
Danni
Pots and pans isn't the only thing that we can see sometimes with memory issues.
Giselle
Could be losing things, losing keys, forgetting where you've put a card, a credit card, those everyday items that you're using all the time, then you just don't know where they are. Forgetting names of course.
Danni
Missing appointments.
Giselle
Missing appointments. Yeah, absolutely. They can all be signs.
Giovanni
Missed medications. Giselle you a pharmacist. Can you can we talk a little bit about that?
Giselle
Yeah. That's actually it's that's it's a quite a common thing actually missing medications or taking the wrong thing at the wrong time. Doubling up and so forth. There are lots of different things that can happen. Medication administration aids, a wonderful thing. It is always good to speak to a local pharmacist in regards to getting a Webster Pak or a dose administration aid. Webster Pak’s are wonderful because they are sealed, the Dosette boxes can be opened at any time and things can be taken and that can get confusing. So a Webster Pak is absolutely wonderful and can really help if you do notice medication issues.
Giovanni
Yeah, awesome.
Danni
Some of the newer Webster Pak’s now to have like morning, day, night, like they actually give the times and the days.
Giselle
Yes and sachets. There's all sorts of different things that are available that can really help if you start to notice maybe tablets, a tablet dropped on to the floor because, you know, our loved ones might have some dexterity issues and difficulty opening bottles and and piecing the blister packs. You can also get, some devices that help piece the Webster Pak’s and so forth.
Giovanni
Make it easier for you.
Giselle
There are things out there. It's just knowing where to look.
Giovanni
So a Webster Pak is step number one?
Giselle
Absolutely.
Giovanni
And even then, people can still forget to take that morning meds right?
Giselle
So you can then look at alarm clocks and setting alarms and reminders and those types of things.
Danni
My auntie has dementia and she's got a clock now. It's a digital clock, but it looks like one of the Google or Alexa clocks. And it has the day in really big writing in the date and the weather and everything's there. So every morning she looks at it and she's got itself into a routine. And yeah, having the Webster Pak right by it too is amazing.
Even mobile phones I've seen recently that are set up specifically for people with memory issues and phone numbers can be programmed in with the family members faces. So literally all they have to do is click on the photo and it will dial them up.
Giovanni
Exactly there are there are so many, useful, tips and technology that can help you with reminders and many other aspects of looking after your loved one or yourself. Providers out there, have a case management team. So case managers will be able to do, you know, a comprehensive care plan that is co-designed with you. And in that you'll be able to come up with goals and services that are aligned with the goals to be able to, you know, make sure that you're reaching those goals.
Giselle
Yeah.
Giovanni
And more often than not, they can we, we can, organise referrals.
Giselle
Yeah. I think, you know, a care manager is such a wonderful asset to a client because they have so much knowledge in what's available out there. So you might have a problem and they can help work out a solution. So yeah, definitely care managers are a wonderful, wonderful person to have on your side. That can help.
Danni
Yeah yeah yeah. So amazing isn't it. Like just the diversity in looking at those kinds of signs and then you know just keeping people independent and dignified. So so important.
Giselle
Yeah. Absolutely. Absolutely.
Danni
So what about driving? Like how can you tell if a loved one maybe shouldn't be behind the wheel?
Giselle
I think this is the hardest.
Danni
Oh, it's so hard isn't it.
Giselle
Yeah I think that's definitely because driving is tied to their independence. Right? Like they can jump in and they can go out, do their own shopping and so forth. There's a couple of signs I think, that you can probably look out for. If you're in the car with them, they're having problems, maybe staying in their lane. There might be signage on the road. Maybe they're driving a little bit too fast or they're not following the speed limit.
Giovanni
Or to slow.
Giselle
Fast or too slow.
Danni
Yeah, my granddad used to grip the steering wheel, and he'd sit over the top of it and he'd swear, and he would just be, like, freaking out the whole time, doing about like 30 K's.
Giselle
And that’s probably not good for them either. That anxiety. Yeah.
Giovanni
Well that's it. I mean, you said it before. If you are with them, I think the first thing is try to get in the car and sit next to, to your loved one driving. Yeah. And you'll be able to pick it up if they're driving right or not.
Danni
Yeah.
Giselle
Yeah. Because the reflexes are so important. Like they need to be able to brake, if something brakes in front of them.
Giovanni
There are so many ways, but you'll be able to pick it up.
Giselle
Yeah.
Giovanni
Easily.
Danni
Yeah. And when they start to have little accidents like they're backing into things and
Giselle
A scratch on the car, you might see, yeah. How did that happen dad?
Giovanni
Yeah yeah yeah. Scratches in the car. That's a good, good one.
Giselle
Yeah yeah yeah.
Danni
But by all means too I mean if they're 95 and they're still alert and they're still able to to drive, then
Giovanni
Yeah absolutely.
Giselle
They might even start avoiding doing things like they might not want to drive at night, or they might not want to drive in certain weather conditions. That could be signs as well that them themselves are not feeling as confident. So that might be a bit of an indicator too.
Giovanni
Yeah. And so perhaps then you should be starting thinking about having assistance with transport, you know, taking you to gross groceries and to those medical appointments and things like that. Make sure just in case that you get there safely.
Danni
And getting access to things like that, like taxi cards, you know, where they can get their free rides and, you know, disabled stickers, maybe for the car, even, you know, even for the carer to have.
Giovanni
And again, all these things can be organised by your provider of choice. So you don't need to do all yourself like a family member. Just reach out to those providers, you know, pick the best one that you think is a good fit for you. And then you will see that they will be able to direct you on all these little things to make sure that your loved one is safe.
Giselle
Yep.
Giovanni
As safe as possible in the comfort of their own homes.
Danni
Yeah. That's such, such a good point, Gio.
Giovanni
You don't need to do it all by yourself.
Danni
No, you don’t.
Giovanni
There’s a lot of help out there?
Danni
Yeah. And I guess that's the next step, though, isn't it. What are those next steps in getting those services and getting those supports in place? And what questions do we even ask?
Giovanni
I think the first thing is, maybe talk to your friends, ask them about their experience with their local, you know, with their current provider, if they have one. It's a good one. Obviously, talk to your GP so they often can direct you in the right directions. Maybe, you know a caregiver that has worked in the industry, or simply just jump on Google and do a research
Danni
Yeah and look at reviews.
Giovanni
Home care providers in your local area. You know, look at those reviews. Look at the website. What do they do, how they operate, their values, the fee structures, you know, sometimes, you know, fees doesn't tell the full story. There's a lot more into it. Right? Because you want to have, you know, you want to deal with a premium provider that is locally based and offer good quality care around the clock, 24/7.
It's got a got a good, strong, you know, base in there in your, in your local community that, that, you know, you can trust. Yeah. And those are the clients you really want those kinds of things.
Danni
Yeah. And reliable workers, those sorts of things. Very important.
Giovanni
Yeah. You want to make sure that they employ and train local caregivers. They’re are very well trained. There's a very good quality system around it.
Giselle
The screening of the workforce, they should have police checks and, you know, all of those types of questions.
Giovanni
How do you train your people? Do you have annual refreshers. Do you what what sort of training do you offer?
Giselle
If I'm not happy, how do I who do I go to in your organisation?
Giovanni
Management systems if I need to put in a complaint, who what happens?
Giselle
What happens. Yep.
Giovanni
And a good provider will be able to step you through exactly how they take your complaint on board and manage the issue.
Danni
Yeah. And I think even this might seem like a strange one, but even how does the organisation look after their employees because if they're not looking after their employees they are probably not going to look after you too well either.
Giselle
Yeah, absolutely.
Danni
And so finding that a quality organisation is a really broad but important thing to find. And so asking those questions is super important.
Giselle
Yeah, absolutely.
Giovanni
You need to do your due diligence, and you want to talk to at least 2 or 3 providers in the local community. And, then you can compare and you can make up your mind to see which one is the best fit for me.
Danni
Yeah. And even making appointments and having a chat. Yeah. So you are like having those up close and personal conversations.
Giselle
Yeah.
Giovanni
Absolutely. And providers, you know, good local providers always make the time to come and see you in person and talk through services and cost and the process with you. Face to face. I mean, there's a sign right there if someone says no, we don't do it face to face visits. That's already a big sign that why should you trust someone that doesn't even take the time to come and see you in the first place? So, yeah, it's important to do your due diligence. It is a big deal to pick and choose the provider of choice for you. So it, you know, it needs to be done well.
Danni
Yeah.
Giselle
Absolutely.
Danni
Very true. Well this has been a very valuable and engaging conversation. If people are needing to get in touch with a provider and those services Gio, what's the best place for them to call?
Giovanni
I think if you, if you're able to, the first step is to make sure you registered within My Aged Care because if you're not, it might take a long time for you to get any support at all. So the first step is really to pick up the phone and call My Aged Care. The number is, you know, you can easily find it on Google, but it's 1800 200 422. And you'll be able to have a quick, assessment over the phone and, and register yourself into the system again over the phone. You just need to have your Medicare card handy. And, someone there would tell you exactly what you need to do, really. And, it's always useful to have someone next to you, maybe to give you a bit of assistance and support.
Again, providers out there also can help you, making those calls to My Aged Care just to make sure to guide you through, you know, what, what steps you need to take and and then and get ready for the questions that they ask you. Yeah.
Danni
So for those that are listening right now or watching right now and maybe they've never had anything to do with My Aged Care they don't even know what it is. Can you just describe in a nutshell what My Aged Care will help you to do and what the benefit is of registering.
Giovanni
Yeah. So My Aged Care is, a government funding program. Where those eligible participants, might be able to receive funding from the government to, spend on services to really enable you to, to stay at home for as long as possible or, spend the rest of your life in a residential aged care facility or potentially in retirement village.
Danni
Yeah. So that could be even anything from meal preparation to gardening to activities to taking you shopping, to personal care. So many different things. And even, you know, if you're needing, I guess, things in your house like ramps or, rails, things like that to just assist you, any kind of equipment, walkers, those kinds of things.
Giovanni
Exactly right Danni. Yeah, there's a bit of a process to be able to, to be funded for, those that mobility needs or small home modifications to ensure safety. But it is definitely out there and it is possible to be funded for those types of products and services.
Danni
Wow, well, it's been a big conversation, but hopefully you're all there now with a big head start on what to do if your aging loved one needs help. We'll catch you next time on Conversations with G and G.