Support options

In addition to the informal support from family and friends or community assistance, there are home care providers who provide formal support services.

There is a large number of forprofit and not-for-profit providers who can deliver support to older Australians in their own home. These range from small and community organisations, to larger national operators.

These services – ranging from entry level right through to intermediate and high level support – can help you at home through almost any stage of life with the delivery of services such as gardening, personal care, nursing, shopping, domestic assistance and even more specialised care such as dementia support and palliative care at home.

Depending on your situation you may be able to access these services through a Government funded home support program or choose to use a private home care provider.

With all this variety and so many options available to you – depending on your situation, finances, location and needs – it is important to be aware of just what is out there and to know what supports will best suit your needs now and into the future, as well as how to go about accessing them, and with what help.

In this section we explain a range of different support options including community supports, council services, Government funded initiatives and privately funded care options.