If the Resident has a Home Care Package, the best place to start is a conversation with the Home Care Package Case Manager to arrange an assessment as some of the costs may be funded through the care package.

If the Resident is currently in hospital or rehabilitation, the best place to start is a conversation with the hospital social worker or Therapist who is coordinating the discharge planning process.

If there is no Home Care Package in place and the Resident is not in hospital, the Resident can ask their GP for a referral to an Occupational Therapist who can do an assessment and make recommendations about equipment that may assist the Resident to remain independent.

Ramps, rails and equipment that is fixed to the Unit requires an application for Alterations and Additions form to be completed and approval from Village Management before proceeding. This is to ensure that the works are untaken by qualified, insured and approved trades person and that the Resident accepts the costs of the work they are arranging.

Funded help to stay at home can be arranged through the Government’s Myagedcare website.

Before you can access government-subsidised aged care services for the first time, you need to apply for an assessment. Using the online application is quick and easy and will only take 15 to 20 minutes to complete. It’s the same form to apply for all types of care and support – including help at home, short-term care, and care in an aged care home. You can complete the application yourself or on behalf of a family member or friend. If you’d like to set up an ongoing representative, you can also do that here.

There are three parts. The first checks you are eligible, the second captures your details, and the third confirms who the assessor should call to arrange the assessment. You will need your Medicare card and enough time to complete it.

https://www.myagedcare.gov.au/assessment/apply-online

Privately funded support can be arranged through Village Baxter Homecare Services, contactable on 59716308.

Veterans Home Care is available for eligible Veterans through the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Many drivers, especially older drivers, self-regulate their driving by choosing when and where to drive. However, some may chose to ignore the warning signs and continue driving when they are a road safety risk. People who suffer from dementia or conditions that affect clear thinking may not be able to make a judgment about safe driving.

If this situation occurs and you are genuinely concerned about someone’s ability to drive safely, family and friends should seriously consider making a report to VicRoads. Under Victorian law, we must investigate this information. You can remain anonymous.

People making a report in good faith are protected from legal action and VicRoads will not divulge the identity of people who make a report without their consent (unless it is required by law).

Your report should contain:

full name of the driver you have concerns about

the drivers date of birth

the drivers residential address (including postcode)

the reasons for your concern

It will also help if you can provide a driver licence number; however, this is not mandatory.

For more information, please see the Vic Roads website. medicalreview@roads.vic.gov.au

It is important to be proactive in planning for your future, so if there comes a time when you are unable to make certain decisions, you can plan who will support you and make decisions for you.

Enduring Power of Attorney: An enduring power of attorney is a legal document that lets you appoint someone to make decisions about personal matters (such as where you live) or financial matters (such as paying bills) or both. This person is called an attorney. The power endures - or continues - if and when you are unable to make decisions.

The Office of the public advocate website has information on how you can appoint an Enduring Power of Attorney.

The law says you have the right to receive the support you need to make your own medical treatment decisions. Privacy laws mean organisations cannot give information about you to someone else without your permission, even if they are helping you. By appointing someone as a medical support person, you are giving them authority to get information about you to help you make a decision. This also lets others know that you have chosen a particular person to support you and makes their role clear to everyone.

The Office of the Public Advocate Website has information on appointing a medical decision maker here: https://www.publicadvocate.vic.gov.au/your-rights/your-healthcare/your-supported-medical-decisions

You can appoint a family member, friend, person you trust or organisation to support you in your dealings with My Aged Care. You can do this online : https://www.myagedcare.gov.au/arranging-someone-support-you

They can:

communicate with My Aged Care, assessors, and service providers

make decisions about aged care assessments and referrals for aged care services, and

seek and update personal information held by My Aged Care.

If your situation has changed unexpectedly and you need immediate help with aged care services or getting someone to represent you, please call My Aged Care on 1800 200 422

If a Resident is unable to remain living independently and they need to move into Residential Aged Care, there are a number of things that need to be done.

Firstly the person needs to be assessed to see if they are eligible for Government Funded Aged Care. This can be done through a referral on the Myagedcare website, or through the Hospital if the person is a patient or through the help of our Village Nurse team.

Secondly the person needs to have their Cost of Care Assessed to see if they are eligible for Government support for their Accommodation Costs. We must offer a certain number of places to supported Residents so we need to know which category a person falls into before offering a place.

Residents needs both of these assessments to be completed for their application for a place in Village Baxter Manor to be considered.

it is important to understand that there is no guarantee a place in Village Baxter Manor will be offered to Residents living in the Village. For a variety of reasons, we may choose not to offer a place if we feel that the Manor is not equipped to meet the Residents needs or if we are unable to meet the expectations of their Representatives in a way that supports a healthy work environment for our Staff.

The Unit must be left empty of all personal possessions, furniture, rubbish, potted plants, garden ornaments, and anything that belongs to the Resident.

The air conditioner, fan and any garage Remote controls, nurse call pendants, Village owned equipment needs to be left in the unit or handed to the Receptionist with the keys.

All mobility scooters, cars and caravans also need to be removed prior to handing in the keys.

It is important to understand that the Village provides a shared domestic rubbish collection. We do not provide the kind of bulk rubbish removal service that is associated with vacating a home. Please make arrangements to dispose of large volumes of rubbish and unwanted items and please do not overfill shared rubbish bins with large amounts of rubbish.

Village Baxter does not accept donations of equipment, clothing or furniture.

The Resident run Chaplaincy Support Group Shed may accept donations of quality second hand goods, contact details are available from the Receptionists.

If the Resident is one of a couple, there is nothing that needs to be done for the Occupancy Agreement. Everything stays in place for the remaining Spouse who is living in the Unit. We may need updated banking details for monthly fees.

If the Resident was the only person living in the unit, when they pass away, the Village liaises with the Resident’s Executor. The Resident sometimes chooses a person to be Executor who is not the same person that they chose to their Power of Attorney. This can create confusion and angst for some family members who have been heavily involved in the Resident’s personal and financial affairs while they were alive, but are no longer able to do this now that the resident has died and an Executor is in place. It is important to have conversations with family early that so that everyone knows and understands the various roles and who has been asked to be the Executor. If the Village does not already have a copy of the Will, please provide one to the Main office to assist our staff in liaising with the correct person. If a refund is due upon vacating the Unit, a cheque will be made payable to the Estate of the Resident. The Village will not make payments directly to Relatives or beneficiaries.

The Unit belongs to the Village and the Occupancy Agreement is for Residents only. Other people including relatives and friends, cannot occupancy the Unit once the Resident has died.

When a person dies leaving assets in Victoria, usually the executor of a person's will or the closest next of kin (where there is no will) has to finalise the deceased's affairs.

Generally this involves:

collecting or gathering all of the deceased's assets

paying any debts

distributing the assets to the persons entitled.

Sometimes these tasks can be done informally, without requiring anything from the Court. In some instances, however, it may be necessary to obtain a grant of probate or letters of administration (collectively referred to as grants of representation) before these duties can be completed. More information can be found on the Supreme Court website here: https://www.supremecourt.vic.gov.au/wills-and-probate

If the Village holds a refundable deposit in the form of a RAD or Equity in a Unit and a Resident dies, if and when a refund is due to be paid, the Village will provide a cheque payable to the Estate.

This ensures that the funds will be distributed in accordance with the Resident’s will and cannot be accessed by others who may have had access to the Resident’s bank accounts.

You can find out more about opening an Estate bank account here: https://www.commbank.com.au/support/deceased-estates.html