A True Partner in Care: Why a Consultant is Your Secret Weapon in Aged Care
Navigating the Australian aged care system often feels like trying to find your way through a maze without a map. In our latest episode of Conversations with G&G, we sat down with Michelle, a Client Care Consultant at Dovida Geelong with over 25 years of experience, to discuss how families can move from feeling overwhelmed to feeling empowered.
Michelle highlights that her role is about much more than just paperwork. It is about building rapport and ensuring that a client’s home, their "sanctuary", is respected. Whether you are in Geelong, the Bellarine, or Torquay, having a local expert to help decipher the new Support at Home program changes is essential for peace of mind.
Key Takeaways from the Episode:
The Power of Lived Experience: Michelle’s background as a former carer allows her to truly empathise with the emotional weight families carry.
Deciphering Fees: Understanding co-contributions under the new Support at Home reforms doesn’t have to be stressful when you have an expert guide.
The "Local" Advantage: Accessing providers with local offices ensures that care partners are just around the corner, fostering a sense of community.
By focusing on "sharing your heart," a consultant helps bridge the gap between clinical requirements and the human need for companionship and dignity.
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/support-home-program
Carer Gateway -www.carergateway.gov.au/help-and-support/getting-support-carer-gateway
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.
Full Episode Transcription - 15 A True Partner in Care: Finding a Consultant Who Navigates Aged Care For You Feat. Michelle
Giselle
Hello and welcome back to another episode of Conversations with G and G. Today, we'll be exploring a topic that helps families navigate the complexities of aged care and the essential role of the client care consultant in aged care. Joining us is the expert Michelle, a client care consultant who will be sharing her insights on what families should expect from a consultant, and also how to decipher fees and caps, and what providers must be doing to demonstrate true value. Welcome, Michelle.
Michelle
Thank you.
Giselle
Thank you for joining us.
Michelle
Thank you for having me today.
Giselle
So maybe we can start a little bit about yourself and your journey in aged care, the different roles that you've done in your career.
Michelle
I've worked in aged care for over 25 years. Some being, personal care for some being, a lifestyle coordinator, and also in the disability sector, for over ten years as well.
Giselle
Wow.
Michelle
Before coming on board as a caregiver in around 90, sorry, 2019, for Home Instead.
Giselle
Yeah. Wonderful.
Michelle
And then I took a little leave from home and stayed for a little while to go back to being a lifestyle coordinator in aged care. And then as soon as I did ask Gio if I could come back, one day, and he said, yes, please do. And, there was a position available for a care manager, so I applied and I've been here ever since, three years now.
Giselle
Amazing. And where are you today? What's your role today?
Michelle
Now, I'm a client relations consultant. I love the role, I’m in because I can build the most important rapport with clients as they coming on board and wanting to choose, a provided that they feel comfortable with and I feel I can build those trusting relationships.
Giselle
Super. So your role is really meeting, people that are entering aged care or looking for a provider and having those conversations with them about, the services on offer. And yeah, it's an important time to support the client in making a decision on who to go too.
00:02:15:21 - 00:02:38:8
Michelle
Yeah, and it’s so confusing out there, too. I find that, you know, so many families are just overwhelmed with all the changes now with the Support at Home Program. And if we can just help make their job a little bit easier and make them feel, listened to and, also put their mind at ease that they can trust us to put their services in place and help take care of that.
The old saying was, you know, share your heart as well. So if you, make them feel at ease and share a little piece of yourself, they know that they can trust us to come on board. And they trust us with their family and doing the right thing by them.
Giselle
Yeah. Wow. Amazing.
Giovanni
And, Michelle, you're very well positioned because you you were a carer yourself.
Michelle
Yes.
Giovanni
So you were in there in that sort of environment where you could see how stressful it is to be a caregiver and supporting the family. So, you really can relate to what the families go through.
Michelle
You can you get to see it firsthand and you can, sometimes they just need someone to talk to, to understand and to see and to to show, the to show someone that it's not easy being a carer and watching your loved one decline, whether it's medically or physically.
In the past, I had a wonderful client who had MND, and, you know, the family was so supportive and, it was such a, an honor to work with them and to build that trust and, to, to be there just sometimes just to talk to.
Giselle
Yeah, 100%.
Michelle
To have a cuppa and have a chat.
Giovanni
So, Michelle, in your experience, where do you think our participants have heard of us before? Heard of Dovida, usually? Is it through Google reviews? Maybe word of mouth, a bit of news.
Michelle
It's been a great big variety now. Word of mouth, but also on the radio. I'm getting a lot of feedback that, you know, where they're seeing us on the back of buses and they're seeing us. They do, always check the Google review. That's one of the first thing they say. And we they like what they see. So they do say those Google reviews, they do see us on the bus, and word of mouth is getting bigger and bigger. And we seem to be always that first one that comes up. So.
Giselle
What type of advice could you give a client who's going through this journey? They're looking for a provider. What is sort of, what are some of the things that they should really be asking the provider and getting answers in relation to the, what they, what they can support the client with?
00:05:08:19 - 00:05:34:02
Michelle
Look one of the biggest questions that they do ask for is, you know, how can I trust people coming into my home?
Giselle
Yeah.
Michelle
Because it's a big thing, you know, that's their home is their sanctuary. It's their sacred place. So to have someone coming into their home, especially if they've been a very private person. They want to know what kind of qualifications do they have? Have they got police checks? And, you know. What kind of fees do I have, you know, what contributions are there? Because now, you know, with the Support at Home, a lot of people are worried that they may not be able to afford that.
But then when they realise if they are a full pensioner as well, you know, their contribution may not be as big as what they were stressing about.
Giovanni
Yes, true.
Michelle
Also, you know, what, if my schedule has to change? What if I go on holiday? You know, they're always worried about the unknown.
Giselle
Yes. Understandable.
Michelle
Yeah.
Giovanni
And what do you say to make people feel, you know, at ease so they're comfortable?
Michelle
I like to build that rapport first and find out a little bit about themselves as well. They get to know who I am. I tell them my story with Dovida and how I started. And I think it's really, you know, it's nice to have that rapport rather than, you know, I'm not just there to, go through any information packets or it's building that first rapport and trust and then, then I ask what kind of services they're looking for and what is important to them.
So a lot of people their garden is their most prized possession, and they can no longer work in the garden. And, or their, their home has always been their pride of place. So and I explain how our caregivers are amazing. You know, then yes, they're not professional cleaners, but they go above and beyond and we usually, you know, prove that time and time again for a caregiver.
And, you know, if they need companionship and going out for appointments or just going for a cup of coffee and going to the movies, that's an option for them. You know, a lot of people don't think that they know or they don't know that they can just go out, shopping
Giselle
And that's why it's so important to keep them in the community. Because, you know, we know that, isolation when someone is isolated or lonely that can really affect their wellbeing.
Michelle
Exactly.
Giselle
And medical conditions and so forth.
Michelle
And exactly early signs of dementia are when they're isolated.
Giovanni
Absolutely. So if it feels like what, from what I hear from other participants as well, that joining us is almost like joining a little community within a community. And they feel like they're connected and they feel like they're very well supported by the caregivers, but also the staff in the office.
Michelle
I agree, and it's almost, we've often had clients say where it's like an extended family because, everyone in the office, and our caregivers do treat them with such dignity and respect. Take the time to listen, but also have fun.
It's about having a also, sometimes a really good sense of humor. You know, and that helps brighten their day. Just to be able to talk to people. And sometimes they don't have anybody else to talk to because they might ring the office one day. And that could be the only person they talk to other than seeing their caregiver.
Giselle
Yes.
Michelle
So, very proud of everyone that I work with in the office at Dovida, at any of the offices. You know, they're amazing.
Giovanni
That's wonderful. How do you think how important it is for them to know that we actually have three local offices and they deal with, you know, local care partners, you know, caregivers that live just around the corner?
Michelle
That's been an amazing game-changer, I believe, especially down for the Bellarine, when they realise that there's an office right there in Clifton Springs, especially, or Torquay, that it's local and they want to support local.
And that gives you a sense of pride, too, because we are local. We're family owned business. And they respect that and it makes them feel more comfortable. It makes them proud to be supporting a local business in Geelong, that can represent them in their time of need.
Giovanni
Yeah. And also you mentioned before about having the choice of being matched with the right caregiver, and that's also because we have a very large pool of caregivers that we can choose from. And the fact that we don't outsource the care.
Michelle
I love the fact that we don't outsource the care. And I'm really proud to say that, you know, there our caregivers are trained by us. They're all trained, in dementia care. You know, they are, it's a credit to the company itself and to the caregivers and all the staff that are involved because they work so hard. And, to make sure all the compliance is done, you know, and then it is a lot of work. And the caregivers love their training. The training is made easy for them. It's accessible. You know, it's.
Giovanni
They feel more supported. Very well thought out.
Michelle
Yes, very well thought out.
Giselle
I think what you know, I've noticed as we have transitioned to the new Support at Home and training our caregivers about changes and the new standards and so forth, and everyone's on board and really willing to learn.
And I think that's important because that development and recognising in yourself that there's always improvements to be made and every single day, there's an opportunity. So I think that's a credit to all the caregivers that are out there that, are on board with developing themselves and learning.
Giovanni
And office staff as well. There's just so much work going behind the scenes.
Giselle
So much work.
Giovanni
And working together. And we're so proud of what we've achieved together and grateful to be able to support our community and have such wonderful people on board, like yourself. Michelle.
Michelle
Thank you.
Giovanni
You are a true ambassador for the organisation.
Michelle
Thank you. It is probably one of my favourite roles just to come to work every day because it's such a fantastic atmosphere to work in. Like, you don't want to take a day off, the weekend comes back, you go, but you do. You look forward to coming back, you know, the next day because, you know, if your work environments happy and positive, then the business is always going to be happy and positive as well. And how you present yourself to the new prospective clients, they can see in your face. I always get, they always say to me, you must really love the company because you're really passionate about it. And when I do my consults and I am passionate about the company. And I do love my job. I once got told you shouldn't love your job. And I thought, I don't understand why because I if for me, if I love my job, I'm going to do it ten times better.
Gioavnni
And that's beautiful to hear.
Michelle
So yeah, yeah, I'm hoping that I'm doing it well.
Giovanni
Oh, you absolutely are. It's so good. Now to back to the first consult and what potential, you know, participants expect from your first consult, like a meeting with yourself. What other concerns do you see how there or challenges that the participants go through and how we put that at ease?
Michelle
Probably the, you know, again, the fee structure at the moment, because I think there's a little bit of unknown about all the prices and how that works, whether, you know, if someone is self-funded, then, you know, the price is going to be higher. So. And it's all determined on every individual case. So, you know, I'm trying to reassure that, you know, we point them in the right direction of, you know, contacting Services Australia.
You know, have they received a letter yet? You know, if not, you know, you can call them or you can go in there and talk to them about that. Just trying to reassure people that everything will fall into place and that also things can be made flexible so their services can be made flexible. They're not set in concrete. So if the service that they have doesn't work out or even they might be worried that, you know, they don't bond with that first caregiver, it's okay. You can call up and speak to you care manager and say, as much as I, you know, the girl is lovely. We're not the right fit.
Giselle
The connections not. Yeah.
Michelle
The connection is not there. There's no rapport. Is it possible to have another one? Yes. You can. You know.
Giovanni
Michelle. What if they don't like the care partners or the care manager? They can also speak to the team leader, and ask to speak to the team leader and they can have another care manager. It's not a bad reflection just on that care manager or the client. Sometimes it just doesn't gel. It just doesn't fit. And as a previous care manager myself, it happened. It happened to myself. And it was no reflection of any not hard work that had been done. But sometimes, expectations can be hugely put on to a care manager. And our care managers do a wonderful job. They go above again and beyond and do long hours and and and do their very best to accommodate.
But sometimes you can't, please everybody. And that's okay.
Giovanni
That’s exactly right.
Michelle
You know, it's not a term of failing. It just means that maybe they'll get on better with a different care manager, whether it's male or female, or just a different personality.
Giselle
Different communication styles.
Michelle
Correct.
Giselle
Yeah. There's so many things really.
Michelle
Exactly. So I think to as you learn not to take it to heart because, you know, if a client says they want another care manager, it's okay.
Giselle
Yes.
Michelle
Of course you're going to feel like, oh, what could I have done better? But that's good because you question yourself. It's okay to question yourself. What could I have done better? Or what could I have done differently to say or to make that client feel more comfortable?
Giovanni
Yeah, exactly.
Michelle
So it's a learning process.
Giselle
Absolutely.
Michelle
And you learn by.
Giselle
Doing.
Michelle
Doing different things and changing.
Giselle
Yeah. Exactly right.
Giovanni
So Michelle, can we talk a little bit about, the difference between, self-management and fully managed care? And if that's a topic that comes up during your consults. And people ask, should I self-manage or should I go with Dovida that is fully managed? What are your thoughts on that?
Michelle
I always recommend going with managed already by Dovida. Simply because self-managed, there's so much work that the client would have to do themselves, you know, they have to find their caregivers, they have to do all the competencies. They have to report incidents and report their own incidents. So if something were to happen that there's no real backup to, prove what's happened, they'd have to do their own incident reports.
And then who do they report them to? So, I always say go managed if preferably. Because our, everything's documented. Everything is followed through. All the hard work is done for them. All the scheduling is sorted, all the compliances that caregivers need, and also what a care manager needs; everything's there. Everything is accessible.
Referrals are made easily. We can, we can send referrals to, you know OT’s and get a response straight away because we have such a great rapport, where if you're self-managed, you could be waiting months and.
Giovanni
Yeah, no, that's a good point that you raise. And also on the Support at Home, the care management fees are, are now capped at the same 10%.
Michelle
Correct.
Giovanni
Wether your self managed or if fully managed.
Michelle
So you don't, I would always say that at the same rate, 10%. I would rather have someone looking after it. And most of our clients always say, I don't want to do self-manage. I don't have time for this. Most families say they don't have time to be doing that. It's a lot of work.
Giselle
Yeah.
Michelle
And they're already exhausted by trying to care for their family member. So, I'm finding that there are more and more just wanting to have someone come in and.
Giselle
Yeah, take care of it all.
Michelle
Take care of it all.
Giselle
Yeah, makes sense.
Giovanni
But at the same time, we do offer that flexibility and empowerment in control.
Michelle
Correct.
Giovanni
Going above and beyond in making sure that their voice is heard.
Michelle
Yes.
Giovanni
And they are they feel like they are in control of their of their package.
Michelle
It's very important for them to feel that. And they can choose, like, especially our grandfathered clients and our new hybrid clients, they can still have that great opportunity of choosing where they, where sorry, what services that they have and where their funding is spent.
And that means so much to them because their voice is being listened to, you know, their needs and requirements are getting, fulfilled.
Giselle
Yeah. So grandfathered are the ones that were in the Home Care Package Program and obviously, now we're in Support at Home, so we call them grandfathered. And the hybrid are the ones that started. They were approved, assessed and approved.
Michelle
After the 12th of September
Giselle
2024. Yes. So they actually fall into the Support at Home. So they'll be with the co-contributions. Yes.
Michelle
And so far, you know, we've had really, positive, outcome towards Support at Home. Every new, consult that we're doing, they understand that they've got to do that contribution and are quite willing to do so.
Giselle
Yeah.
Giovanni
But as I said before, it's about giving them the information.
Michelle
Correct.
Giovanni
They need to make that decision and understand upfront how much contribution they need to pay towards the care.
Michelle
And every individual person is going to be different, every contribution will be different. The clinical obviously, there's no contribution at all. So that's, that's, such a great bonus for our clients. And, you know, it could be as little as 5% contribution for certain.
Giovanni
For independence, personal care, and companionship.
Michelle
And then, you know, starting at 17.5% for, you know, domestic assistance. And, so I think it's really important that, you know, we make them feel comfortable about seeking out what their contributions are going to be.
Giselle
Yeah.
Michelle
It's and be on that journey with them and, just support them through that process because it's, it is in the world of the unknown at the moment. And I think if we still stay positive and be there with them, it just takes that little bit of extra stress and burden out of the whole situation for them.
Giselle
Yeah. And it's a good point you raise about it being individual, that kind of contribution. Because, I mean, it would be very easy to speak to your neighbor who's paying $1 amount. And then, you know, you get told that this is your contribution, but it's different. So I think that's an important point.
Michelle
And that will come up.
Giselle
Yeah.
Michelle
Probably more and more, especially when they've got their friends.
Giselle
Yes.
Michelle
And a lot of them know each other, and we've got the same service,s but you know
Giselle
Yes, they are contributing in different amounts.
Michelle
Correct. And it's all depending on when they were assessed and, approved and assigned to their package.
Giovanni
So Michelle, tell us. So if someone then, yes, is very happy with everything you said. They want to sign up. What happens next?
Michelle
We book the sign-up, consult with them. Usually, we like to do the consultation first. And let them acknowledge and let them look at all the information, because there's quite a bit to absorb. And then sometimes it can be literally signing them up the next day, depending on how quickly they want to sign up.
Also, it depends on how the needed, taking up their package before it expires, on My Aged Care systems so and they can get an extension. So they just haven't quite made up their mind or they just need a little bit longer, or want to explain it to family a little bit longer, a little bit more, that’s when they might extend it. Or sometimes they've been ill and been in hospital, so they have to extend, and that's okay. You just simply call My Aged Care and ask them to extend. But usually they want to sign up quite quickly. So, for myself, often it will be within that week that I want to sign up.
Giovanni
And what's the process, looking like? Is it digital? Is it paper-based?
Michelle
So we're finding that the digital base is becoming more and more popular now. We still offer paper-based, but we find that people are actually now wanting to support going digital. There are still a few that find that very difficult and really want to sign that, you know, that paperwork and have it in their hand.
And that's still fine as well. So we give both options. So, the more you know that, the more we can offer that to, to clients. And I think they like the fact that, oh, I can sign on the computer now and, you know, they've compared it to receiving a parcel at their door or going to the post office and signing a little digital pad. So, yeah, it's very similar.
Giovanni
Yes, that's exactly right. And once they sign up, then, what do they know what, what's the next step.
Michelle
The next step is for me to take back all the information that I've collected, all my documentation, whether it be hard copy or on the computer. I start the intake planning form, and finish that off. I will then, onboard the person and send their request off to, their service request off to, scheduling. And usually within 5 to 7 days, sometimes 10 days, we have their services in place and ready to go. And we try to make that transition as smoothly as possible for them and not to stress out. We've had such positive feedback from clients that have had that easy transition.
So yeah.
Giovanni
And then the care partner is introduced as well. You know, meet the Care partner face to face.
Michelle
Yes. So the care partner, the allocation now is quite quicker for a care partner. And they go out there and get to meet them and build that rapport. They will do their, finish their care plan, and they will also do their budget for them.
So they again, another piece of the puzzle to put their mind at ease that there is enough funding there to cover, you know, the services that they are requesting.
Giselle
And we've spoken a lot about the government funding, but clients can also, if they need services immediately, straight away tomorrow. That's also a possibility.
Michelle
Correct. They can pay for additional services, either so privately or like with their package as well. You know, and if they haven't got a package, they can start those services, very quickly and privately come on board as a private client.
Giselle
So, that's probably an important point for people, so, for example, if you've got a loved one in hospital who's being discharged and they need to put something in fairly quickly to support them at home. So that is definitely an option for clients and their families to think about too.
Michelle
It is is and it's, such an easy process. And it's very similar to, obviously, the Support at Home consult, but while you're there, you know, it's a it's probably an easier process. And you do get a chance to build that really good rapport with, again, with the family and the client.
Giovanni
That's so good. Any final word of advice you would give to our community out there? Community of listeners?
Michelle
Please consider Dovida as your service provider. We have such a wonderful staff and a fantastic reputation. And I'm really proud to be a part of that.
Giselle
Amazing. Michelle, thank you so much for coming along today. It's been very interesting to hear about your career, and your journey and then what you do in your current role and how you help clients make that decision. And, the early, I guess, the early weeks into their care. So thank you so much.
Michelle
You're welcome.
Giovanni
Keep up the amazing work.
Michelle
Thank you, I appreciate it. Thank you.