The Building Services team at Adssi In-Home Support is led by Aaron Wilson. He was happy to take us behind the scenes to explain exactly what role the building services team play in keeping Australians in their own home for longer.

Building Services receive on average 1500 referrals for modifications and maintenance projects each year. The in-house team of trades are responsible for carpentry, electrical, plumbing and welding fabrication jobs and work alongside an array of trusted subcontractors.

Building Services projects are referred by programs such as the Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP), the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) and Home Care Packages or HCP. There are also projects which essentially fall under private commercial work not included in Government-funded guidelines.

What is the difference between modifications and maintenance?

Maintenance refers to a variety of jobs, from a dripping pipe to a leaking toilet. If your roof suddenly starts leaking or your gutters need repairs, this is a maintenance issue. Hard to turn taps, leaking taps and toilets, and faulty or broken doors or locks, faulty power points or lighting issues are also good examples of maintenance services.

The team can take care of repairing your fly screens, pressure clean your paths and even take care of changing your light globes if you are unable to do that yourself.

Once you find yourself in the Adssi In-home Support system and under the Commonwealth Home Support Program, you can easily self-refer any home maintenance issues. Our team can advise at the time of your request if the work qualifies for a government subsidy.

Modifications have a different set of guidelines. The work comes via a referral after the client has been assessed by an occupational therapist. In the case of Home Care Packages, a referral will reach us via the client’s case manager.

Modifications include access ramps and pathways, grab rails and handrails as well as doorway threshold wedges. Modifications can include full bathroom renovations including creating level access showers as well as providing wheelchair access into and inside a client’s home.

How do I qualify for government funded subsidies and what makes me eligible?

Your starting point is My Aged Care. Once you have had an assessment from them and been referred to us, you can easily set up your own referrals for maintenance requests in your home. You can expect to receive immediate confirmation of government subsidy after making the first call to us. Our team will still be able to assist you if the service you require does not qualify for a government subsidy, however this would be charged at commercial rates. We will always provide you with a quote for approval before starting any work.

Government funded programs receive priority.

As far as modifications are concerned, it is important that a client speaks to their case manager or occupational therapist, depending on the program they are subsidised by.

Are maintenance services regular or on-demand, and what are the waiting periods?

Maintenance services are generally on demand. Plumbing services could be supplied in the form of regular servicing of taps and that falls under maintenance. Once the client is in the system, they stay active and do not have to go through My Aged Care again, each time they need some maintenance work done.

Waiting periods for various services would depend on the nature of the referral. Safety issues are treated as priorities. Please note our Building Services team is not an emergency service. Every effort is made to provide clients with services at reasonable turnaround times.

Carpentry work can take between 4-8 weeks to complete. Plumbing and electrical work can take from up to one or two weeks to a couple of months, depending on the number of referrals in the system. Care is always taken to provide the best possible outcome for any situation, within reason, within reason.

What is excluded in terms of maintenance?

The Adssi In-home Support Building Services team does not carry out appliance repairs. Faulty washing machines or electric stoves are not repaired under maintenance –  this is best carried out by specialised industries. Our plumbers can assist in repairing a gas stove, but faulty fridges and broken washing machines must be repaired by an electrician.

What services are included in terms of maintenance?

Adssi In-home Support Building Services can do all kinds of domestic plumbing. Your leaky taps and broken toilets can be repaired under maintenance projects. Roof and gutter leaks, sewer blockages and any kind of domestic plumbing can be taken care of. Electrical services include faulty and broken power points, upgrading switchboards and installing circuit breakers to make your home safe. Carpentry jobs include work on sticky front or back doors and loose kitchen cupboard doors needing to be re-hinged and re-fitted.

What about mowing lawns and taking care of gutters?

Adssi In-home Support runs a separate lawn and gutter service. The Building Services team can take care of overgrown front or back access, by removing overgrown weeds or taking care of overhanging trees. The team does not perform lawns and garden services. For lawns and gardens, you will need a different referral from My Aged Care.

What are the most common modifications carried out for clients?

The three most popular modifications performed in and outside the home include handrails, grab rails and access ramps, all to keep the person safe. The ramp can range from a front door threshold to a ramp stretching across an entire front yard. Jobs range from a modest amount of approximately $100 to $10,000 and depend on the scope of the project. We will always provide you with a quote before starting any work. The Building Services at Adssi In-home Support has the skills and experience to tackle a broad range of jobs referred by your case manager or occupational therapist.

What about safety in a client’s home?

We have an in-house team of trades, and an array of sub-contractors and specialist trades, who are police checked, vetted and fully insured to provide trustworthy, safe and reliable services to our clients. For your peace of mind, our team members carry photo identification.