Nominated contacts are people who you trust and can assist you in an emergency. They should be available and willing to assist you.

Nominated contacts can be family members, friends or trusted neighbours. They should have access to your home, or you may choose to have a key safe for easy access.

In an emergency, MePACS may call your nominated contacts to check on your welfare during the day or night.

You can nominate up to three people as your contacts. While we prefer to have at least one nominated contact on your file, don't worry if you're unable to provide one—we will still be happy to welcome you to the MePACS family.

Through geat2GO, eligible clients can use their CHSP funding to get the MePACS Home & Mobile Alarm Bundle with 24/7 professional monitoring.

The first two months of 24/7 monitoring are fully funded. After that, ongoing monthly monitoring fees will need to be privately funded by the client.

To be eligible for the Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP), you generally need to meet the following criteria:

Age: You must be aged 65 years or older (or 50 years or older for Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander peoples).  

Need for assistance: You require some support to continue living independently at home. This might include help with daily tasks, personal care, home maintenance, or social support.  

There are also some specific circumstances where people younger than 65 may be eligible:

Prematurely aged: If you are aged 50 or older (45 or older for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples) and on a low income, homeless, or at risk of homelessness, you may be eligible.  

To find out if you are eligible, you can:

Visit the My Aged Care website: They have an eligibility checker tool that can help you determine if you meet the basic requirements. You can find it here: https://www.myagedcare.gov.au/  

Contact My Aged Care directly: You can call them on 1800 200 422 to discuss your situation and find out if you are eligible.  

Keep in mind that an assessment is usually required to confirm your eligibility and determine the level of support you need.  This assessment is typically done face-to-face at your home by a health professional.

geat2GO is a national Australian program that provides equipment and assistive technology to older Australians who are part of the Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP).

The program aims to help seniors maintain their independence and improve their quality of life by giving them access to necessary equipment.

To access geat2GO, seniors must be:

- Eligible for the Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP)

- Assessed by a healthcare professional who recommends specific equipment, such as a personal alarm

Most goods require an Occupational Therapist prescription however smaller items can be referred through an assessing agency.

To access the GEAT2GO program, Occupational Therapists and assessors can request equipment for eligible seniors through geat2go.org.au

A referral for a personal alarm through geat2GO must be placed by a health professional approved by My Aged Care through the geat2GO portal. You cannot submit an alarm order by yourself. The healthcare professional will need your My Aged Care referral code and your signed approval to place the order.

Once your order is placed, MePACS will contact you directly to process and finalise your application.

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The CHSP program is designed for seniors who require one or two basic services, such as personal alarms, on either a short-term or ongoing basis. After your initial assessment with My Aged Care (conducted online or by phone), if your needs are deemed low-level, the Regional Assessment Service (RAS) will reach out to schedule a face-to-face assessment in your home. If you're eligible, a personal alarm can be included in your support services, and you will be referred for it during this assessment.  

Home Care Packages (HCPs) are designed for seniors who require more extensive support than what the CHSP offers. There are four funding tiers of package to meet varying levels of need: basic care needs, low-level care needs, intermediate care needs or high-level care needs.

After your initial assessment with My Aged Care (conducted online or by phone), if you are deemed to have more higher, more complex needs, an Aged Care Assessment Team (ACAT) will contact you to arrange a face-to-face assessment in your home.  This assessment will determine the amount of funding you receive.

If approved, there may be a wait for an HCP, typically ranging from 3-15 months. In the meantime, ACAT assessors may also approve you for an interim package or for CHSP to access some services while you wait.

If you're eligible for a personal alarm through your HCP, you'll need to contact your chosen Home Care Provider directly. They will assist in arranging the personal alarm.