Question 1

What types of help can I get?

Accepted Answer

We can help you obtain funding, find your Angel Assistants and create a plan if you need more support.
 
The type of help you can receive from your Angel Assistant is entirely negotiable.  This can include cooking, cleaning, laundry, shopping assistance, mowing, house maintenance, driving to appointments and many other things.

Your Angel Assistant is there to support you however you need.  The idea is that rather than doing everything for you and encroaching on your independence, they assist you with tasks that are too difficult to manage by yourself.

Question 2

Can this service replace the need to enter a nursing home?

Accepted Answer

Many people will find that even the most basic level of live-in care from an Angel Assistant is sufficient to enable them to live in their own home for much longer.

An Angel Assistant is essentially a supportive housemate who can provide up to 14 hours of active help per week in return for free food and board.  They are not necessarily trained as carers, but can assist you with daily living tasks such as cleaning, cooking, mowing, shopping and driving etc.  These types of duties do not require complex training and therefore can be open to a much greater range of applicants.  By having this person live with you, you will have the benefit of their company and the assurance of knowing that someone is around if anything goes wrong.

If you have greater needs, it may be necessary to supplement this support with trained carers.  Depending on your budget, it is possible to ensure you have round-the-clock care.  We can refer you to trained carers who can help you with more difficult duties such as grooming, personal care and medication management.  The additional carers will need to be paid on an hourly basis for their time.  We can also refer you to the services of a registered nurse, who may be able to pay you regular visits and conduct well-being checks, as needed.

Every situation is different however, and it will depend on your own particular circumstances.
 
Click here to learn more.

Question 3

How long will it take to find an Angel Assistant?

Accepted Answer

This can depend on a number of factors including where you live, what level of training you require and what duties you will require. 
 
We typically will be able to find someone for you within a month, but will let you know if it is taking longer than expected.

Question 4

What types of funding can you help me with?

Accepted Answer

We have identified over a dozen government grants that can help fund your in-home care.  Angel Assist can help you apply for every grant that you are eligible for. 
 
The commonly known grants include the Commonwealth Home Support Program, the Home Care Package and NDIS.  In addition to these, it is possible to obtain the Carer Payment for someone who is not a family member, thereby increasing the amount of paid support by over $25,000 per year. 
 
In certain circumstances it may also be possible to obtain federal and state government employment grants for hiring a carer, amounting to $30,000.
 
Our Ultimate Guide to In-Home Care Grants can introduce you to the many grants that we may be able to help you apply for.

Question 5

What are the minimum requirements if I get an Angel Assistant?

Accepted Answer

If you wish to have an Angel Assistant, you must provide them with their own private bedroom.  It is not necessary for them to have their own private bathroom.
 
In return for helping you with basic duties, it is expected that you will provide them with free food and board.  The exact duties and number of hours of active care that they provide for you will need to be negotiated before they start.

Question 6

What happens if I don't like my Angel Assistant?

Accepted Answer

The last thing we want is for you to feel uncomfortable with someone that is caring for you.  We have systems in place to frequently check how you are going and to ensure you are 100% happy with the quality of care you are receiving.  If you are unhappy with your Angel Assistant for any reason at all within the first month, we will endeavour to find you a replacement as soon as possible at no additional cost.

Question 7

What happens if my Angel Assistant becomes ill or needs time off?

Accepted Answer

It is possible to arrange for a government-funded respite carer or privately funded carer to come into your home if this occurs.

Question 8

How can I get free live-in help?

Accepted Answer

If you are able to provide free food and board, then we can find you an Angel Assistant.  Please use the contact forms on this website so we can get in touch with you and get the process started.

Question 9

What types of funding can you help me obtain?

Accepted Answer

We specialise in helping you obtain every grant possible to fund your care.  This includes the Commonwealth Home Support Program, Home Care Package, NDIS, Carer Payment and other various business and health grants.  Please use the contact forms on this site so we can start the process as soon as possible.

Question 10

If I had to privately fund my own in-home care, what is my total outlay and how does this compare to the cost of a nursing home?

Accepted Answer

Let's assume the high needs scenario where you require someone present almost constantly.
 
We would suggest you get an Angel Assistant who receives the Carer Payment plus free food and board.  They would assist you with the basic tasks required of running a house including cleaning, cooking, laundry, shopping and mowing for 14 hours a week.  They would obviously also be present each night.  
 
We would also suggest you hire at least two trained care professionals to deal with your more complex needs such as personal care, grooming and medication management etc.  This would ensure you have trained one-on-one care every day of the week.  You would have to pay these staff an hourly rate of approximately $35 per hour.  This means you would be paying $2,800 per week for these two extra carers (assuming 80 hours per week).  If you are a senior, you are likely to be entitled to the Level 4 Home Care Package, which offers approximately $54,000 per year in support.  Your net weekly cost for these two extra full-time carers would therefore be approximately $1,770.

It would also be advisable to have a registered nurse visit twice weekly and random times for well-being checks.
 
In this worst case scenario, with you receiving round-the-clock care from the Angel Assistant and 2 full-time carers and twice weekly visits from a registered nurse, your costs would be as follows:
 
Weekly outgoings:
Wages - $1,870 per week
 
This scenario would offer a standard of care that is arguably superior to a nursing home given that you would have one-on-one attention for an average of 13 hours a day, and all within the comfort of your own home.  This is in contrast to nursing homes which are now legislated to have to provide just 200 minutes or 3 hours and 20 minutes of attention per day.

It is not uncommon for people to pay a bond of more than $400,000 to be able to enter a nursing home, or to be out of pocket for at least $1,000 per week.  Even with this extreme example we've just given, you can see that our model of in-home care may be a viable alternative to nursing homes for some people.

Of course, this will depend on your particular care needs and financial circumstances.  There are always going to be scenarios where a nursing home is the only place fully equipped to deal with high care needs, so it is advisable to discuss your particular circumstances with appropriately qualified health professionals.

Question 11

How quickly can I receive grants to help me towards the cost of my care?

Accepted Answer

This depends on the type of grant you have applied for. 
 
It may take a month or two for your Level 1 Companion to receive the Carer Payment, a few months for you to receive the Commonwealth Home Support Program and up to 9 months to receive the Home Care Package.

Frequently asked questions