June 22nd, 2023Concerns about in-home care price rises

A Creswick local has spoken out over changes to a Commonwealth Home
Support Programme pricing schedule being implemented by in-home care
provider, Benetas from July 1.
The resident, who wished to remain anonymous, contacted The Local saying the
cost of using the in-home CHSP care services is rising by around 130 per cent for her,
with the changes becoming effective from July 1.
She also raised concerns about the lack of support workers saying it was
sometimes just the “luck of the draw if your support worker arrives on the day
allotted to you”.
A Benetas spokesperson said in order to keep pace with cost of living increases
and supplier charges, there had been a review of the organisation’s pricing. “This has
resulted in price increases for some services, in line with pricing recommended by the
government.”
The 65-year-old resident, who receives help due to mobility issues, said it had
been 12 months since Benetas took over the aged care service from Hepburn Shire
Council.
“I received the schedule of new fees and it is interesting to note that they now
have three levels. If you are in the lower or middle-income bracket these new fees are
large increases. I fall in the middle-income bracket as I am still working, but I still
have a mortgage and being a woman in her older years with no superannuation to
speak of, this means if I stop working, I will lose the roof over my head. The result
will not be a good one for me.”
The resident said over the past three years she had received three hours of
domestic assistance for 1.5 hours per fortnight or three hours per month for $21.
That would now be $49.50 – an increase of about 130 per cent.
“I feel for those of us that have worked all of our lives, raised children on our
own, paid taxes, not received child support from our ex and not (been) granted
superannuation until early 2000 (at a measly three per cent).
“It is sad that now not only do I have to keep working in my sunset years and face
looking after myself as I won’t be able to afford home care once I stop working. How
is a single person on a pension going to find the extra money for care when they can
barely eat or keep themselves warm?”
Raising staffing concerns, the woman said she believed many support workers had
left as they were being paid less than when they were with the council, and were also
spending hours driving around the shire and not being paid for their time

“It is the luck of the draw if your support worker arrives on the day allotted to
you, as they are often shunted around and more often than not the person who is
waiting for them (the client) is not informed.
“When they don’t show up you are often told you will be waiting for your next
allotted day (in a fortnight) as they have no-one to backfill.
“If your support day falls on a Monday which mine has sometimes – and it’s a
public holiday – too bad, you wait another fortnight for a service. Trying to ring
them is a nightmare as the phone often rings out. They frequently state they will get
back to you and don’t.”
A Benetas spokesperson told The Local the organisation valued the opportunity to
support “the care needs of our clients in the local community”.
“As a not-for-profit organisation, it is essential that we remain competitive on
pricing compared to other service providers in the market, so we can provide the best
level of care for our clients in the long term.
“In order to keep pace with cost of living increases and supplier charges, we
have recently completed a review of our pricing schedule. This has resulted in price
increases for some services, in line with pricing recommended by the government.
“We continue to invest in improving the services we provide and in supporting
our team members with appropriate remuneration in recognition of the important
contribution they make in caring for our clients.
“We would welcome the opportunity to discuss the feedback that the client has
raised to ensure that we are supporting their needs appropriately.”
Hepburn Shire Council won a Local Government Professionals award for its Aged
Care and Disability Services Transition, after its decision to withdraw from offering
aged care provision.
Words: Eve Lamb & Donna Kelly