When you start wondering whether it is time to look at in-home help, it can bring up guilt, worry and a lot of questions. Noticing the signs your ageing parents may need in-home aged care support in Australia is not about judging them. It is about them accessing proactive/preventative care so they continue to live and age well in their home and local community.
The Australian Government’s new Support at Home program, which replaced the previous Home Care Packages system on 1 November 2025, is designed to provide flexible, needs-based support so older Australians can stay in their own homes for longer. Understanding the everyday signs that extra help might be needed can make it easier to connect what you are seeing at home with the formal support options available.
Changing everyday routines and household tasks
One of the earliest indicators that your mum or dad may need in-home aged care support is a shift in their usual routines. Because these changes often happen slowly, it can be easy to overlook them or explain them as “just getting older.” Paying gentle attention to patterns over time can help you spot when independence is starting to slip.
You might notice skipped meals, food going off in the fridge or your parent relying heavily on toast and packaged snacks instead of preparing balanced meals. An unusually untidy home, overflowing laundry or a decline in personal grooming can also point to fatigue, pain or cognitive changes that make everyday tasks harder.
Driving and getting around are other key areas to watch. If you see new dents in the car, reports of “near misses,” or your parent avoiding driving at night or on busy roads, this may indicate reduced confidence or slower reaction times. Struggling to shop for groceries, carry bags or navigate the local shops may mean your parent is starting to find simple tasks a little bit difficult.
Approaching these topics with empathy is essential. Rather than saying “you can't cope,” you might try, “I have noticed the housework and shopping seem really exhausting lately. How would it feel to have someone come in a couple of times a week to help with the heavier jobs?” This keeps your parent in control and frames support as a way to conserve their energy for the things they enjoy.
Under the Support at Home program, government-subsidised in-home help can be tailored to these specific challenges. Depending on assessed needs, services can include domestic assistance, meal preparation, transport and help with medication management or shopping. The aim is to maintain your parent’s dignity and autonomy, not take over their life.
Health, mobility, and safety worries at home
As your parents age, it is natural to worry about their health and safety, especially if they are living alone. Small incidents can be warning signs that more support is needed.
Frequent falls, near misses or unexplained bruises are red flags that your parent may be at higher risk at home. Even if they brush off a fall as “just being clumsy,” a pattern of stumbling, grabbing furniture to move around or avoiding certain rooms can show that balance and strength are changing.
Also, look at how they navigate their home. Are the stairs becoming difficult? Do they struggle to get in and out of bed or the shower? Are they avoiding the bathroom because they are worried about slipping? These concerns can lead to less movement, poorer hygiene or disrupted sleep, which then affects mood and overall wellbeing.
Support at Home can connect your parent with personal care workers, nurses and allied health professionals who can provide help with showering, dressing, mobility exercises and monitoring health conditions at home. Funding under the program can also support assistive technology and home modifications, such as grab rails, ramps, or bathroom changes, to reduce risks. For some people, short-term support like the Restorative Care Pathway is available and can be accessed immediately upon approval, without a wait list.
If you are feeling anxious every time your parent doesn’t answer the phone, or you find yourself checking on them several times a day, it may be a sign that health and safety concerns are growing. Linking these worries with practical options through Support at Home can help you plan in a grounded, proactive way.
Emotional changes, memory loss, and social withdrawal
Physical changes are not the only signs your elderly parents may need in-home aged care support in Australia. Emotional and cognitive shifts can be just as significant, even if they are less visible.
Memory changes are a common concern. Forgetting the odd name or misplacing keys occasionally can be part of normal ageing. But repeating the same questions, getting lost on familiar routes, missing regular appointments or leaving appliances like the stove on are signs that extra support may be needed. Confusion about the day or time, or difficulty following conversations, can also signal changes in cognitive health.
Social withdrawal is another important indicator. You may see your parent stopping their usual outings, missing club meetings or refusing invitations they would once have enjoyed. They might say it is “too much effort” or that they “cannot be bothered anymore.” Sometimes this is due to physical fatigue, but it can also reflect fear, sadness or early memory issues.
Flexible in-home aged care support can help address these emotional and cognitive changes. Through Support at Home, in-home support can include companionship, help with getting to social activities, transport to medical appointments and encouragement to stay connected to community groups.
Ensuring your parent remains socially connected is not just a “nice to have.” Loneliness and isolation are linked with poorer physical and mental health outcomes. Having trusted people regularly visiting your parent’s home can provide reassurance to both you and your parent and can help pick up early changes that might otherwise go unnoticed.
Strain on family carers and the sandwich generation
If you are in the "Sandwich Generation", you may feel like you are constantly switching roles: parent, partner, employee, and now carer. It is common to underestimate the toll this takes until you are already exhausted.
You might notice you are always on alert, checking your phone in case your parent calls or rushing from school pick-up to your mum’s house to help with dinner. Weekends may be filled with errands, cleaning, and appointments for your parents, leaving little time for your own rest or relationships. Feelings of guilt are common: for not doing enough for your parents, and for not being fully present with your children or at work.
Signs of carer strain include constant tiredness, irritability, difficulty concentrating and feeling resentful or trapped. You may also find yourself avoiding your own health appointments or hobbies because there simply is not enough time. Carer burnout does not mean you love your parents any less. It is a signal that the current level of responsibility is more than one person can manage sustainably.
Australian Unity home health and care offers connected, coordinated services that can help ease this pressure. Our friendly, trusted team can guide you through funding options, including the transition to Support at Home and talk through next steps that make sense for your situation. Resources like Australian Unity’s Ask Your Folks guide, Sandwich Generation and the Club Sandwich podcast provide practical conversation starters, real stories, and expert perspectives tailored for the sandwich generation.
By sharing the load with a comprehensive support team, you can focus more on being a son or daughter, not just a carer.
Also read: Support at Home Program changes for existing customers
Starting the conversation and planning for Support at Home
Knowing that your parents may need more help is one thing. Finding the words to talk about it is another. Many older adults worry that accepting in-home aged care support means losing control, moving out of their home or becoming a burden. Reassurance and clear information are key.
Start by choosing a calm moment, not in the middle of a crisis. You might open with something like, “I want to make sure you can stay at home, safely and comfortably, for as long as possible. Can we talk about what is feeling harder lately, and what kind of help might make life easier?” Focus on their goals: staying in their own home, keeping up social activities or having energy for grandkids.
It can help to frame Support at Home as the government’s new way of providing in-home help. Through My Aged Care, the national entry point for aged care services, your parent can have an assessment that looks at their daily living needs, safety and support network. After this, they receive a Notice of Decision that outlines whether they are approved for ongoing Support at Home funding, any short-term pathways, and their priority category: urgent, high, medium or standard.
Wait times for funding depend on this priority category and national demand. As at early 2026, estimated waits from approval to funding being assigned are up to 1 month for urgent, 1.5 to 2.5 months for high, 8 to 9 months for medium and 10 to 11 months for standard. During this period, your parent’s status needs to be recorded as “seeking services” in their My Aged Care record, otherwise funding will not be allocated when it becomes available.
If wait times are longer than expected, some people may be offered interim funding at around 60 percent of their approved budget so that essential services can begin sooner.
While you are waiting, there are practical steps you can take:
- Keep good records of assessments, letters, and conversations with My Aged Care.
- Monitor any changes in your parent’s health, mood, or safety, and ask My Aged Care for a review if their needs increase.
- Use the My Aged Care Find a provider tool to research Support at Home providers in your parent’s area.
- Consider private or non-government services for short-term help while government funding is pending.
Australian Unity’s team can support you during this process, explaining options in plain language and helping you connect the dots between what you see at home and the formal aged care system. You can speak with a care expert about what you are noticing, the different types of in-home aged care support available, and how to plan ahead in a way that feels manageable.
Moving forward with confidence
Recognising the signs your elderly parents may need in-home aged care support in Australia can feel emotional, but it is ultimately an act of care. By paying attention to small changes in routines, safety, mood and your own energy levels, you are already advocating for your parents’ wellbeing.
You don't have to do this alone. My Aged Care, the Support at Home program, and trusted providers like Australian Unity offer pathways to flexible support that is tailored to your family’s needs. Starting the conversation early, learning about your options and building a team around your parents can help them stay in the place they know and love, while also protecting your own wellbeing as part of the sandwich generation.
If you are ready to explore what might be possible, reach out to Australian Unity on for guidance here, or by calling 1300 160 170, or visit My Aged Care to begin the assessment process. Small steps today can make a meaningful difference to how your parents live, and how you feel, in the years ahead.