Home care providers deliver services in the client's own home. The services include help with daily tasks such as meal preparation, medication reminders, laundry, light housekeeping, errands, shopping, transportation, and companionship. Home care is often an integral component of the post-hospitalization recovery process, especially during the initial weeks after discharge when the client still requires some level of regular physical assistance.
- Home care provider needs to give the client the information about the services
- Home care provider needs to speak with the client about any changes to the services
- Home care provider needs to respect the client's privacy and dignity
- Home care provider needs to handle the concerns or complaints of the client fairly and confidentially.
- Charter of Care Recipients’ Rights and Responsibilities for Home Care (the Charter), if you are receiving a Home Care Package.
- Home Care Standards, if you are receiving services under Home Care Packages or the Commonwealth Home Support Programme.
- Client has a right to be looked after properly.
- Client has a right to be treated well and given a high-quality care and services
- Client has a right to receive the best care that home care services provide.
- Client has a right be treated with respect
- Client has a right to be involved in deciding what care will meet their needs.
- Client should have a written agreement covering everything that a client and the service provider have agreed to
- Client has a right to have your care and services reviewed
- Client has a right for privacy and confidentiality of your personal information
- Clients should always be given information on how to make comments and/or complaints about your care and services
- Client should have a right to know the fees determined in a way that is transparent, accessible and fair
- To respect the rights of care workers to their human, legal and industrial rights including the right to work in a safe environment
- give enough information to the service provider so they can develop and deliver your care plan
- follow the terms and conditions of your written agreement
- allow safe and reasonable access for care workers at the times agreed in your care plan
- pay any fees outlined in your written agreement.
- To treat care workers without exploitation, abuse, discrimination or harassment
- To accept responsibility for my own actions and choices even though some actions and choices may involve an element of risk
- To tell the approved provider and their staff about any problems with the care and services
- To allow safe and reasonable access for care workers at the times specified in my care plan or otherwise by agreement
- To maintain control over, and to continue making decisions about, the personal aspects of my daily life, financial affairs and possessions
- To have access to services and activities which are available generally in the community
- To complain and to take action to resolve disputes
- To have access to advocates and other avenues of redress
- To be free from reprisal, or a well-founded fear of reprisal, in any form for taking action to enforce his or her rights
If, after discussion with the service provider you do not believe the service provider is meeting their obligations, or that the care and services you are receiving are not appropriate to the level of funding you are receiving for the Home Care Package or services through the Commonwealth Home Support Programme, you may want to contact the National Aged Care Advocacy Program or the Aged Care Complaints Scheme.