The landscape of aged care in Australia has fundamentally shifted. As recently highlighted by The Senior in their coverage of the new Support at Home program, the Australian Government has introduced a streamlined approach to help older Australians live independently, safely, and comfortably in their own homes for longer.

The initiative, which replaces the previous Home Care Packages, offers a more flexible approach, dividing assistance into clear categories. Clinical care is fully funded, while support for independence and everyday living tasks is now subject to means-tested co-contributions. In theory, it is a significant step forward for families navigating the aged care system.

However, the reality of the rollout has presented substantial challenges for families who need help right now. This is where community-driven solutions like Mind For Me step in to fill the gaps, providing an immediate safety net and complementing the Support at Home program.

The Reality of the Rollout: Waitlists and Rising Costs

While government-funded support is crucial, accessing it is proving increasingly difficult. Recent reporting from The Guardian Australia and industry outlets like The Weekly Source have revealed a severe backlog, with over 120,000 older Australians stuck on waitlists for assessments or funding allocations. As noted by Australian Ageing Agenda, wait times can stretch for many months, leaving vulnerable people without assistance and, in tragic cases, forcing them prematurely into residential care.

Furthermore, the new funding structure has introduced financial hurdles. Because the system fully funds clinical care but requires means-tested “co-contributions” for everyday living services (like cleaning, gardening, and meal prep), many pensioners are being priced out of basic assistance. The Older Persons Advocacy Network (OPAN) has even warned that some older people are cancelling their assessed support entirely due to the unaffordability of these new out-of-pocket fees.

An Immediate Safety Net

While families are stuck in bureaucratic limbo waiting months for government approvals, Mind For Me can be activated instantly. It provides a crucial buffer, allowing families to mobilise local friends, neighbours, and community members to handle non-clinical tasks—ensuring loved ones are safe and supported at home while waiting for official funding to come through.

It also shields older Australians from the steep out-of-pocket costs associated with means-tested domestic assistance. Basic everyday support shouldn’t drain an older person’s life savings or require an administrative nightmare to access financial hardship support.

Making Professional Services Go Further

Under the new government framework, clinical and specialist services remain highly subsidised. Mind For Me provides an alternative for the rest, ensuring that when government funding is eventually allocated, it is preserved for what it does best: professional, complex, and clinical care. By coordinating basic, everyday support through a trusted local network, families can reduce the reliance on professional care workers for non-specialist jobs, alleviating pressure on the broader aged care workforce.

Managed Within the Family Unit

One of the greatest challenges for modern families is distance. You might live on the other side of the country from your ageing parents, making day-to-day assistance feel impossible. Mind For Me bridges this geographical divide. The platform allows you to manage and coordinate support centrally within your own family unit, mobilising the goodwill of the people who are already embedded in your parents’ local community.

The Best of Both Worlds

The Support at Home program provides the essential clinical safety net older Australians require. By pairing this with Mind For Me, families can build a holistic, highly efficient care ecosystem that bypasses the waitlists for everyday needs. The government services can be sharply focused on professional medical requirements, while the warmth, proximity, and practical help of local neighbours ensure that everyday life remains manageable, affordable, and socially rich.