Aged care and disability support across regional Victoria

Palliative care at home in regional Victoria focuses on comfort, dignity and meaningful support for you and your family. We work alongside GPs and palliative care teams. Depending on where you live, it may include a mix of services like:

• Symptom management and clinical support from local nurses or palliative care teams
• Personal care at home, including help with showering, mobility or positioning
• Companionship and social support
• Equipment and assistive technology, such as hospital beds, pressure cushions or mobility aids‍
• Respite for family carers, so they can rest while knowing you’re supported

Families in regional Victoria usually fund dementia care through either:

• Support at Home funding (formerly Home Care Packages): This is the main form of government-subsidised in-home dementia support for people aged 65+. 
• NDIS for people under 65 (or under 50 years of age for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People): If the person has younger-onset dementia, the NDIS can fund ongoing in-home support, therapies and respite.
• Private payment: Families in locations like Geelong or the Mornington Peninsula often choose to privately fund services while waiting for assessments or funding to be released. ‍

Self-managed care means you (or a family member) organise much of your day-to-day support and choose Helpers from our network, while a provider (like Five Good Friends!) handles your care management and compliance. 

If you live in regional Victoria, self-management can mean:

• Choosing your own Helpers, including people from your local community
• Setting your own schedule and routines
• Comparing local providers and budgeting according to what works for you
• Using an app or platform to track spending and organise visits

At Five Good Friends, we match you with Helpers who share your interests and values. You can review profiles on our app and choose the Helper that feels right, with the option to see more matches if needed.

You can read more about our pricing for Support at Home or discover full-service and self-managed options for privately funded care.

Support at Home funding is available across all of Victoria — from regional spots like Geelong to smaller communities across Gippsland and the Peninsula. You may be eligible if you:

• Are 65 or over (or 50+ for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People)
• Are living with dementia, a disability, frailty, mobility limitations or chronic health concerns 
• Need support to live safely and independently at home
• Have needs that aren’t fully met by basic community services

Eligibility is determined through an aged care assessment, which now places you into one of eight Support at Home funding classifications (replacing the old four-level Home Care Package system).

If you’re unsure whether your funding is being used well, a Support Coordinator can review your plan with you. Five Good Friends’ experienced Support Coordinators can help identify gaps, suggest better ways to allocate NDIS funding, and make sure you’re getting the right balance of daily support while being able to live independently at home in Victoria.

If your needs change, you can increase your support hours in the short term with us. For longer-term changes, you may need to request a plan reassessment. We’ll help you gather evidence and support you to navigate this process.