What's the difference between a support plan and a care plan?

Your Aged Care Compass

The support plan is the document that is given after a person has been assessed by either the Regional Assessment Service (RAS) or the Aged Care Assessment Team (ACAT).

When a person is assigned their home care package (HCP), they sign up with a provider. The care plan is the document that is drawn up with the home care provider. This guides what services and support a person will receive from their HCP.

These two different plans are both important. They are used at different times for a person’s support at home. We chat about what they are and when they are used. You’ll learn about the information that is needed for each. This information affects the level of aged care support you receive.

In this episode:

• What is a support plan?
• The information in a support plan
• Recommendations in a support plan
• What is a care plan?
• Plans are reviewed as needed. They are not “set and forget”.
• Care plans should be reviewed at least yearly
• Who asks for a support plan review or a care plan review?
• Give complete detail at any assessments. Do not be stoic
• Telling your provider about your health issues
• Who gives information for a support plan or care plan?
• The information in a care plan matters
• What information do I give when asking for a support plan review?

Resources mentioned:

• Blog - What's the difference between a support plan and a care plan?
• Blog – What's the difference between CHSP and HCP
• Blog – What’s the difference between a RAS and an ACAT assessment?
• Clinical review service
• Let's Talk Consultation

Related Episodes:

• Episode 4: How Do I Get Help At Home?
• Episode 7: Home Care Packages
• Episode 8: How To Prepare For Assessments

Connect with Coral Wilkinson:

• Instagram
• Facebook
• LinkedIn
• Guiding you through My Aged Care | SeeMeACN website

More about Your Aged Care Compass podcast:

Are you supporting an older loved one at home and ready to give up because it’s just too hard? Your Aged Care Compass is aimed at anyone who is caring for an older loved one who still lives at home and is wondering what support is available to them.

We're Coral and Michelle, the sisters behind our business, See Me Aged Care Navigators.

Coral is a registered nurse with over 30 years’ experience in both health and aged care. A former assessor with the aged care assessment team, an advocate and author, there’s not much Coral doesn’t know about Australia’s aged care system.

Michelle is a former pharmacist with over 30 years in the public health and private sectors of pharmacy. Michelle is now client care manager for our business.

Our story started as one of supporting our parents to remain in their own home, to be as independent as possible and remain connected to their community. We reached a point however, of needing extra support and we achieved this because we know Australia’s aged care system so well, we knew what programs could assist us and our parents.

This podcast, Your Aged Care Compass, brings together not only our personal experience in supporting our own ageing parents but also our vast professional experience in supporting other families to keep their loved ones at home.

We will help you makes sense of Australia’s aged care system, from your first contact with My Aged Care through to the different funding streams and assessment workforces, management options for home care packages and extra funding that people might be eligible for.

There's so much more. Topics relating to dementia and legal and financial considerations will be covered, as well as real life stories of where it went wrong for people and how we guided them to get it right.

Your Aged Care Compass will guide you clearly and compassionately to the right support at the right time for your ageing parents and loved ones.

Like what you hear? Please leave us a Rating and Review. We’d love you to share this podcast with any friends or family who have older loved ones.