What is a Wellbeing Manager and how can they help you?

Perhaps you’re a  Commonwealth Home Support Program client who is considering a higher level of support by moving over to a Home Care Package? Or, maybe you’ve already taken the leap and successfully applied for a Home Care Package (HCP) and are ready to start your services?

Whilst there is the option to self-manage a Home Care Package, there are numerous benefits by choosing a provider-managed HCP with Feros Care. The first is you are assigned your own Wellbeing Manager who will walk you through every step of the process and organise all your services for you.

Your Wellbeing Manager is a locally-based consistent, single point of contact who coordinates all care services and suppliers on your behalf, saving you a significant amount of time and stress.

We sat down with Feros Care Wellbeing Manager Rachel Stiles to unpack exactly how a Wellbeing Manager can help you focus on what matters most – enjoying your life at home knowing your care is the experienced hands of someone who really knows YOU.  

A client-centred and collaborative approach

Wellbeing Managers work closely with you to help set goals and create a care plan tailored to your individual needs.

“No two cases are ever the same,” explains Rachael. “We use a collaborative approach that engages our clients and ensures we’re supporting them to remain living at home independently.”

“We can start the process with a pre-signup visit before your Home Care Package is allocated. Here, we explain what a Home Care Package is, the different levels of funding, and what you can expect,” says Rachael.

“Once your package has been allocated, we come to your home to conduct an in-depth assessment guided by the National Screening and Assessment Form (or NSAF), and put together a care plan with you, for you.”

Services covered by a Feros Care HCP can include house cleaning, shopping, personal care, physiotherapy, dietetics, occupational therapy, in-home or virtual nursing, allied health groups to keep you active, meal preparation, technology training, transport, individual social outings and social groups, respite care, home modifications to keep you safe, handy gadgets to make daily life easier, and so much more.

But you don’t need to worry about figuring it all out because your Wellbeing Manager will help you choose the services you need, set them up, and help manage your funding budget.

Working hand in hand with you every step of the way

Once you’ve started your services, your Wellbeing Manager will follow up with you regularly in person or on the phone.

“Our reviews are an important part of the process to ensure that your services have commenced smoothly, and to identify changes that can sometimes happen quickly,” says Rachael.

“We’re very responsive to shifts in our clients’ needs and we implement care changes right away.”

Your Wellbeing Manager will also liaise with your GP and allied health practitioners to track your progress.

“We can send a referral directly to My Aged Care so you can be reassessed for the next level of care if needed,” explains Rachael.

“If you reach the highest level of HCP and it can no longer meet your needs at home, we can assist you on the pathway to permanent care. However, we do all that is possible to keep you living in your own surroundings where you are most comfortable.”

She continues; “and if you wish to remain at home all the way through to end of life, we will work with palliative care teams to do everything we can to fulfil your wishes.”

Making your life easier and more fulfilling

You can rest easy knowing that your Wellbeing Manager is on top of the latest developments to provide you with the best possible care.

“We’re provided with continued education and training to ensure that we’re compliant with industry standards and aware of any changes in government guidelines,” says Rachel. “We have our finger on the pulse and keep our clients informed in a simple and easy-to-understand way.”

If any issues arise along the way – from account queries to changing service providers – your Wellbeing Manager will handle it for you.

“Our role is to find solutions to any problems and advocate for our clients’ needs,” she says.

“If there’s something we don’t know how to solve, we consult the other Feros Care Wellbeing Managers. We all come from diverse backgrounds and work together as a team to troubleshoot any issues.”

Beyond the provision of services, Wellbeing Managers are there to help you live your best life.

“We try to connect people back with their passions and their purpose so they’re able to continue living a fulfilled life,” says Rachael.

“It’s very rewarding when you see someone thrive with care implementation and get back to what they thought that they could never do again.”

There are so many ways that a Wellbeing Manager can make all the difference to your aged care journey. To read more, click here.

Next steps

If you are currently a Commonwealth Home Support client who would like to switch to a Home Care Package:

Please contact My Aged Care about being reassessed. If there are Home Care Package services you would like to access in the meantime, we’d be more than happy to explain how to access these these privately.

If you’ve already been approved and assigned a referral code for a Home Care Package by ACAT (Aged Care Assessment Team):

You can start receiving home care services – with the many benefits of being assigned your very own Wellbeing Manager – faster than you can say ‘Feros’! Simply phone us on 1300 418 418 or complete our contact form, and our friendly support team will be in touch to answer your questions about home care package fees or package levels, organise your services, and welcome you to the fold!

Still have questions? We love questions!

If you’d like to discuss anything about aged care services or are confused by the process, please reach out to our friendly team on 1300 418 418. Or, if you are an existing Feros Care client, you can always drop us a line on the handy MyFeros client platform.