Meet Phil who is self-managing home care for his Mum, Jan
More adult children like Phil, are choosing to self-manage their parent’s in-home aged care with Five Good Friends. It offers more choice, help you can trust, and allows you to direct funding towards more hours of care for you loved one. It’s home care that puts you among friends.
What is self-management in aged care?
Self-managing home care for yourself, or a loved one, means you take an active role in coordinating care services. You choose your care workers, decide how to use your budget, coordinate your visits and have the flexibility to adapt as needs change.
Phil describes his mum, Jan, as the kind of person who was always on the go. She loved baking and sewing, was independent and very active in her community. Then three years ago, things began to change.
At first, Jan just needed a little extra support. Then came a diagnosis of stage 4 cancer, followed by dementia. The family were devastated.
When Jan wasn’t well enough to live on her own, Phil moved her into his home. Like many adult children in this situation, Phil wanted the best care possible for his mum. However, with his own business to run, the strain of providing care quickly took its toll.
The struggle with a traditional care provider
Phil’s first step was to engage a traditional home care provider. He hoped for warmth, consistency, and genuine connection.
The reality fell short.
Helpers changed from week to week — sometimes even from visit to visit. “There were varying people. It was hard to get continuity of care,” explains Phil. "And for someone in aged care, it's hard to build trust with different people every time".
Communication was clunky. Getting someone on the phone could take days. The uncertainty was difficult - for Jan but also for Phil, who was balancing his own business and other family responsibilities.
Why Phil chose to self-manage his mum’s in-home care
Frustrated with the lack of control, Phil began researching self-managed home care providers. That’s when he came across self-managing with Five Good Friends.
“As family, you know your loved one's needs a little bit more. With self-management, I thought I’d have more opportunity to pick and choose what Mum needs. There’s still parameters but there’s a lot more options to choose the level of care and the people who do it for you,” he explains.
Self-managing with Five Good Friends meant Phil could:
- Hand-pick Helpers who suited Jan’s needs and preferences
- Schedule a roster around her routine
- Choose which tasks mattered most each week
- Direct more of the budget towards care hours
“People might think self-management takes a long time, but it’s so easy — especially with Five Good Friends. It’s really good,” Phil emphasises.
Building a care team Jan could trust
Within a week of joining Five Good Friends, Jan had her first Helpers. Phil set out to build a small, consistent team who not only had the right skills, but that Jan could build a genuine connection with.
Smart matching technology meant Phil was able to find the right Helpers for Jan's care needs. Two Helpers already knew Jan from the local community. Another had grown up in the same town. This instant familiarity gave Jan comfort and sparked natural conversation.
“Having the same person all the time, that the person needing the care can relate with, is so important, especially in dementia cases”, explains Phil, “but I think in all cases, it makes people a lot more comfortable.”
Because Phil was self-managing Jan’s home care, he could make sure these same friendly faces came each week, on the same days, at the same times — keeping Jan’s routine predictable and calm.
“It’s just super comfortable to know you’ve got people coming in who can look after her, and that she’s happy with them,” he adds.
Ongoing skills and training for Helpers
Phil also values how Five Good Friends invest in their Helpers through free micro-credentialing courses. As Jan’s needs change, her Helpers can upskill to meet them.
“Mum’s needs have changed dramatically over the last 12 to 18 months,” Phil explains. “If she needs support with taking new medications, her Helpers can do the course. That’s another really good benefit of Five Good Friends."
This means Phil can keep Jan’s trusted team together, rather than having to bring in unfamiliar faces for new tasks.
Technology that makes self-management in aged care simple
Phil describes himself as “old school”, but he quickly warmed to the Five Good Friends app.
“With self-management and the app, everything is simple. You’ve got all your Helpers listed, you can search and choose who you want by their bios, and if it doesn’t work out, there are always more to choose from,” he explains.
Through the app, Phil can:
- See exactly who’s visiting and when
- Adjust the roster instantly
- Communicate directly with Helpers
- Track spending in real time
“Once you set it all up, you only spend 10–15 minutes a week self-managing the care yourself,” he says.
Home care that understands you
Behind the tech is a team of Care Navigators Phil describes as “immense” in their support.
“No matter what you needed, they went out of their way to try and help you. Jenna and Haley - having them to communicate with is so important,” Phil says.
“I’ve had some pretty tough times over the last 6–8 months, but Five Good Friends are always there to sort out a problem, talk, and help with whatever you need really. It may seem like a quirky name – Five Good Friends – but it does feel like they're part of your friends.”
The freedom to focus on what matters
Today, Phil can run his business and focus on what matters most, knowing that Jan’s needs are being met.
For Phil, self-managing with Five Good Friends has meant more choice, oversight and true peace of mind.
For Jan, it’s meant keeping her dignity, comfort, and community close — even as life changes.
Phil’s advice to other adult children considering self-management?
“I’d recommend Five Good Friends to anyone", says Phil. "The app’s easy to use, there’s great communication, and you get peace of mind knowing they’re being looked after by people they’re comfortable with. It just makes life so much easier.”
If you want more choice, more flexibility, and the comfort of familiar faces for someone you love, start your journey with a self-managed home care provider today. Learn more about self-managing with Five Good Friends.
In this blog
Share
