: 23/7/2018
NEW PLATFORM TO PROTECT CONSUMERS IN $20 BILLION HOME/AGED CARE SECTORS
A new service, CareAbout, has launched to protect consumers who are active in the $20 billion aged and home care sectors in Australia, providing a much needed service of advice, advocacy, comparison and selection from providers.
The brainchild of iSelect co-founder, Damien Waller, and Kyra-Bae Snell – Executive Director, CareAbout’s mission is to create meaningful change for people accessing home and aged care through specialist advisers, clear comparisons of services and fees.
CareAbout is currently operating in Victoria, NSW, South Australia, and Queensland, with experts in the field and on the phone to personally assist consumers seeking help in working their way through what is becoming an increasingly complex range of services and options.
Ms Kyra-Bae Snell said "We are now providing a much needed service for consumers navigating their way through the expanding maze of government schemes, providers and aged care homes to choose from".
The number of providers in the home care sector has almost doubled to about 800 across Australia over the last 18 months, while there are more than 2,000 in aged care, creating myriad of choices, which can now be distilled and sorted out for them through CareAbout’s service.
CareAbout provides free advice across a select panel of proven and experienced home care providers or for consumers wanting aged care facilities, advice is via a flat fee and includes all aged care facilities.
According to a recent CoreData White Paper* on aged care, the sector will grow 24 per cent over the next five years, with the Federal Government’s financial exposure to the sector growing from $10.6 billion to an expected $19.7 billion in 2020.
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The white paper also estimates that 1.3 million Australians are now being supplied with aged care services, with the sector representing about 1 per cent of Australia’s GDP and revenue worth more than $20 billion.
Ms Snell said "The growth of both the home care and aged care sector has led to many new and inexperienced providers entering the space, presenting challenges for consumers who are often stressed in selecting the best care for themselves or their loved ones. Often consumers aren’t even aware that they have choice."
"Making the wrong decision can cost consumers thousands of dollars and in many cases we have saved $100,000 for our customers, negotiating lower rates on entry to an aged care facility", she added.
The home care sector has also seen radical changes in recent years, with more than 100,000 people in the queue to gain access to the four levels of Federal Government funding packages for home care – which range from $8,000 to $49,000.
Ms Snell said "We have seen cases where providers have taken 50 per cent of the government packages in fees, with the result being financial pain and inferior service for the consumer. We believe there needs to be greater transparency around provider fees and charges", she added.
For Further Information:
Tim Allerton
City PR
(0412) 715 707
•http://www.coredata.com.au/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Aged_Care_White_paper_2017.pdf
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