Combining Home Care & Allied Health: Creating a Holistic In‑Home Care Plan
The Importance of a Holistic Approach in Home Care
Home care isn’t just about help with daily tasks. A holistic approach means looking at the whole picture, considering physical health, emotional well-being, social connections, and helping you stay independent at home. By bringing together different types of care, older South Australians can continue living comfortably in familiar surroundings.
Why Holistic In-Home Care Matters
As you age, your needs often change. One type of service might not always be enough. Holistic in-home care brings together different types of supports, things like personal care, allied health services such as physiotherapy or occupational therapy, and social support. To help you stay active, safe and connected to your community.
Creating a Collaborative Care Plan
A care plan works best when it reflects what’s important to you. This often involves input from you, your family, and a range of care professionals. Key things to think about include:
- Daily living needs (e.g. cooking, cleaning, personal care)
- Health management (e.g. allied health or nursing)
- Home safety and accessibility
- Social and emotional well-being
By looking at all of these areas, a personalised plan can be put together to suit your goals and preferences.
Key Roles in a Holistic Care Team
A holistic care team might include:
- Home care support workers to help with daily routines
- Allied health professionals such as physiotherapists, occupational therapists, podiatrists or massage therapists
- Nurses for clinical or medication support
- Spiritual care chaplains
- Care coordinators
Each person in the team works together to support your well-being and independence at home.
Building Your Personalised In-Home Support Team
Everyone’s support needs are different. You may find regular physiotherapy helpful or only need a bit of help now and then with things like mobility aids, medication, or household tasks. The focus is always on creating a care plan that fits your lifestyle, offering the right level of support without adding services you don’t need.
Why Families Choose Holistic Home Care
Many families prefer a holistic approach to home care because:
- Coordinated services mean there’s no need to manage multiple providers
- Comprehensive support helps you stay active, independent, and connected
- Tailored care plans provide peace of mind that all areas of well-being are being looked after
How to Get Started with a Holistic Plan
To access government-funded home care support, the first step is to register with My Aged Care. After an assessment, a funding package is set up based on what’s needed.
From there, you can choose a provider to help put together a personalised care plan. This could include allied health services, home support, and social programs to suit your preferences and goals.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Support at Home Program will replace current home care packages on 1 November 2025. Life Care can help you understand how this may affect your existing or future services.
A co-contribution is a payment made toward the cost of care. Under the Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP), everyone pays the same standard contribution. For Home Care Packages (HCP), the co-contribution is income-tested, regardless of the package level. Life Care can help explain what this means for your individual situation.
Care plans are reviewed regularly to make sure they continue to match your needs – typically every 12 months, or sooner if things change.
A holistic plan might include home care, allied health services, wellness programs, nursing support, respite services and social activities – tailored to your specific circumstances.