Engaging Domestic Assistance for your Loved One in Melbourne

When caring for a beloved older person in your life, or someone who lives with disabilities, housekeeping may not be the first thing you think about. However, many of us will start to struggle a bit more with everyday tasks as we age, or if we live with a disability that affects mobility, muscle strength, or cognition. 

With all the other demands of our busy lives pulling our focus, it can be easy to let the state of our homes become a last priority. However, keeping a healthy, clean and safe home is important for physical well being and even our mental health. 

If you have been considering whether domestic assistance could be a good idea for you or a loved one who is older or lives with disabilities, this is your sign to find out more today. 

What is domestic assistance?

Domestic assistance involves engaging professional support workers to assist you with chores around the home. Sometimes, age or disability can make completing household tasks difficult, or you may feel overwhelmed or too busy with all the other things you have to take care of. 

Medical appointments, managing medications, spending time with loved ones and engaging in cherished hobbies can lead us to push cleaning, cooking or shopping further down your list of priorities.

 In some cases, those with physical mobility challenges may even put themselves at risk of falls or injuries when trying to complete the household chores independently. When household chores start to become a danger to your loved ones, it is necessary to take the necessary precautions to ensure that your loved one stays safe and comfortable in their home. 

What to expect when getting domestic assistance for your loved ones

Domestic assistance can look different for each unique person, and our dedicated support workers will always tailor the service to what is most important and meaningful to you. 

After an initial conversation to make sure we understand what you would most like assistance with, we will develop a tailored domestic assistance plan for you and your loved ones. We know no two households have the exact same needs, so we never take a one-size-fits-all approach.

Whether you just need a little help with cleaning and meal preparation, or support with a wide range of domestic chores, we will work with you to find a solution that puts you and your loved one’s minds at ease. Our support workers can help you with almost anything you need, including but not limited to:

1. Household Chores 

Is vacuuming starting to give you back pain? Has dusting in high places started to make you feel nervous about falling? There is no need to put yourself or your loved ones at risk with these chores, or to sacrifice the pride you take in maintaining a clean, comfortable and safe home. 

2. Laundry 

Laundry. Why spend hours hunched over your tumble dryer, or lugging heavy bags of clothing to and from the laundromat? Our support workers can help create a laundry schedule that lets you get back to the things you love, rest assured that you always have clean clothing to choose from.

3. Grocery shopping 

Some may start to find it difficult to stay on top of their grocery shopping as they get older, whilst those with disabilities also need a little assistance. Keeping a range of fresh, nutritious and tasty food in the home is a great way to ensure you are meeting your nutritional needs and always have something delicious on hand for yourself or guests.

4. Cooking and meal preparation 

Once you have your grocery items, we can help you to prepare the food to make it easier to eat throughout the week. This could mean preparing large batch meals to enjoy, or simply washing and chopping vegetables so that you can easily grab them when cooking. These small tasks can go a long way in giving you and your family peace of mind.

Even after deciding that you could use some help around the house, it can feel a little daunting having someone new come into your home. As such, it is good to ensure that a domestic assistance plan is in place so that you would know what to expect. 

When creating your domestic assistance plan with our support workers, you can ask as many questions as you like to make sure you understand and are comfortable and satisfied with the proposed arrangement. 

You can also make specific requests, such as how a certain task is done, or how many conversations you would like whilst receiving domestic assistance. There may even be some tasks that you genuinely enjoy doing, but just need some support to do so. This is your home and your life, and we are just here to support you to live it as best you can.

Benefits of domestic assistance

Keeping a safe, comfortable and clean environment is not only good for our self-esteem, but it is also actually important for our health. Ensuring your home is regularly tidied and cleaned can help prevent the build-up of germs from things like food spills, mud brought in from shoes, pets and general grime and dirt. This can prevent the onset of some illnesses, and avoid the possibility of aggravating symptoms of existing conditions.

Pests like bugs and rodents can also be attracted to messes and dirt, so staying on top of household chores with help from our dedicated team is a great way to keep out unwanted pests. 

Regular cleaning is also important to reduce the build-up of dust or other allergens that can make the air more irritating on your lungs or exacerbate breathing problems. Older adults with breathing conditions like asthma will benefit from keeping the air in their home dust and allergen-free, clean and pure.

Getting support to maintain your home isn’t just good for your physical health, it can actually be good for the mind as well.

 Studies suggest that cleaning can improve concentration, reduce symptoms of stress, anxiety and depression, and reduce fatigue. It is so much easier to stay organised, and keep out unwanted clutter when you have a regular cleaning routine. There are so many benefits to engaging domestic assistance from the privacy and comfort of your own home, you’ll only wonder why you didn’t do it sooner!

Domestic assistance vs aged care facilities – what option is best for you?

Ageing, mobility and other challenges that come later in life are some of the most common reasons people seek support through home care or domestic assistance. Sometimes, people with disabilities may require additional support, or extra help when recovering from an illness or after having surgery.

The main difference between domestic assistance and aged care facilities is the setting – domestic assistance allows you to access some of the support and benefits of an aged care facility, all from the comfort and familiarity of your own home. 

Domestic assistance also differs as it is primarily focused on maintaining the household, second to caring for the person’s medical, mobility or other personal care needs. In contrast, aged care facilities are usually focused on providing care for an individual, not so much on the home living environment of the individual. 

Another significant point of difference between domestic assistance and an aged care facility is cost. Homage offers a competitive rate of approximately $55 per hour for domestic assistance. This may vary for individual circumstances, and you may be eligible to use your National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) or Home Care Package (HCP) funding to support this.

Compared with the cost of entering an aged care home, which varies depending on your circumstances but can be costly and difficult to find the right one for you or a loved one.

There are many pros and cons to either choosing to enter a care facility or receive domestic assistance in your home. 

Aged care homes are usually built so as to be accessible and safe for older people or those with mobility difficulties, which may be preferable if your own home is built differently or is less accessible. However, the downsides may include having to relocate from the home you know, and potentially moving further away from beloved family and friends or services that you enjoy accessing. 

Regardless, some people will always prefer to choose the independence of staying at home where possible. The good news is that Homage can tailor a suite of support services to you in your own home environment, to ensure you can live a safe, healthy and happy life wherever you choose. 

Talking to a loved one who may need domestic assistance

Sometimes it is really difficult admitting to ourselves and others that we need help. Especially where a person was once able to manage their home independently, there may be some resistance to the idea that they now need outside support.

1. Dealing with resistance

 It is normal if a loved one who is older or experiencing challenges to at first be resistant to the idea. They may insist they can do it themselves, or think that you should help them out around the house rather than engaging a professional.

It’s important to be compassionate, patient and understanding with your loved one, who may be experiencing frustration, guilt or grief at the loss of some of their independence. 

It might be helpful to gently explain some of the impacts their health, disability or age is having on their lives, and the ways engaging professional help will make things better.

2. Share with them how domestic assistance can help to improve their life

Explain the benefits of engaging domestic assistance, such as having a nicer home to invite guests to, having more time and energy to do the things they love, and less worry about cleaning or chores that might lead to injury.

You can also point out that getting support in the home can help them to age in place for longer, and maintain their independence in other areas by remaining in their own home.

3. Get them to empathise with your struggles as a caregiver

You may need to gently explain that, as much as you love them, you can’t commit to always helping out around the home yourself.

You can also explain that when you visit them, you want to focus on spending quality time together, rather than worrying about chores that need to be done.

Getting support in the home can do wonders for your relationship with your loved one, giving you both more peace of mind and less stress for the individual and you as the caregiver. 

4. Show them that it is ok to receive help

Finally, you may need to help your loved one understand that it’s natural and perfectly okay to admit you need help. Nobody can do everything all alone, and even if it feels a little different to have someone new come in to help you, there is nothing to fear. 

Our team of support workers are friendly, respectful and highly professional, and will do everything they can to ensure your loved one feels comfortable.

If you or your loved one still has questions, you can arrange a free care consult to talk about how to make the transition easy and peaceful for all involved.

Ready to start getting help in your home? 

Homage’s team of support workers can help you with a wide range of tasks around your home. The types of support will be tailored to what you are looking for and the level of support you need and feel comfortable with.

If you are ready to learn more about how we can help with staying on top of light cleaning, laundry, meal preparation, shopping and more, speak to one of our Care Advisors at 0480 093 788 today. It’s never too late or too early to get the support you deserve to live safely, comfortably and happily in your own home.