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Introduction
Are you an older person who is living at home who might need a little extra help from time to time? Are you caring for an older relative or friend who wants to stay at home rather than go into an aged care home?
Growing older in Australia comes with many choices. Choices about where you live, whether in Broome or on Bribie Island, and how you live, whether you are golfing or grandparenting. Many things affect your choices, but often your health plays a major role in your lifestyle as you get older.
For many people, living in the comfort of their own home is an important part of growing older, but for some older people this may become difficult without extra help. This is where ‘home help’ or community care services comes into the picture – providing help with everything from housework, meals and personal care, to assistance getting out and about for social activities.
This part of the website helps you or your carer to understand the various types of community care services available and how to arrange them.
- How to access help to stay at home
- Eligibility and standards
- What help is available?
- Community care service finder
- Health and well-being
- Financial and legal
- No longer able to stay at home?
- Useful contacts
- Common questions
How to access help
This part of the website helps you, your carer, your family and friends understand the various types of home help available – why you might want or need them, and how you can arrange them. Home help is often described as ‘community care’ (more information).
Read more: About How to access help
Eligibility & standards
If your care is going to take place at home and in the community, you can expect your dignity and independence to be respected. You also have a right to be treated as an individual and to have your cultural background and personal beliefs respected.
Read more: About eligibility & standards
What help is available?
There are an increasing number of services available to help older Australians receive their care at home. This section covers everything from community nursing, meals, domestic help, personal care, home modifications, transport and day therapies to support for people with cultural and identifiable needs, as well as for people with particular health conditions.
Read more: About what help is available
Community Care Service Finder
This is where you go to find the community care services in your local area, according to the topic you’re interested in.
Read more: Community Care Service Finder
Health and well-being
This section of our website gives you more information about healthy ageing, so you can increase your chances of leading an independent, active life.
Read more: About Health and well-being
Financial and legal help
Financial difficulties and legal concerns can be complicated, so it helps to know that there is financial and legal support available, and that there are standards and procedures to ensure that you receive good care.
Read more: About Financial and legal help
No longer able to stay at home?
If you’re finding it difficult to look after yourself in your home and it’s not possible for your carers to meet your daily needs, you may consider applying for residential care in an aged care home. If so, it helps to know about all your options.
Read more: About if you are no longer able to stay at home
Useful contacts
Here’s where you should visit for a comprehensive directory of all the national services, phone numbers and contact details you’ll need to get the most out of Australia’s community care services.
Read more: About Useful contacts
Common questions
Whether you have a question about your entitlement to community services or your rights and responsibilities, you may find your answers in this section.
Read more: About Common questions
Common questions on this topic:
- I don't know whether my father can get help to stay at home or if he would be better cared for if he moved to an aged care home. How is the decision made?
- My regular medicines are in a Webster pack, but those I use only occasionally are still in the original packaging. I'm having trouble opening the bottle or the foil packet. Can anyone help me with this?
See all common questions
