You get what you pay for in home care
Our discussion with Hello Leaders addresses the growing friction surrounding Australia's recent home care reforms. While the system was designed to give older Australians choice and control, the operational reality has left many self-funded retirees and part-pensioners deeply frustrated.
When a system presents exhaustive waitlists, immense paperwork, and a massive backlog for simple reassessments as needs change, it risks pushing vulnerable individuals directly into hospitals or residential aged care facilities.
Source: Hello Leaders Australia
Publication Date: 29 October 2025
The Director’s Perspective
“Subsidised care sounds appealing on paper, but when families look closely at income-tested fees and the actual hours delivered, they quickly realise how little the government subsidy actually buys.” - Fiona Somerville
A critical eye-opener for many families is the sheer lack of direct support hours. Even at the highest tier, a standard government package delivers an average of just 11 hours of direct care per week - barely enough to sustain true independence or daily well-being. In most cases you'll get just 5 hours.
Many government-subsidised providers have recently inflated their rates to $100-$120 an hour. The impact for self-funded retirees is that they're being asked to contribute exorbitant amounts for basic services like cleaning and gardening that far outweigh the actual market value.
At Acquaint, we believe that it's an absolute honour to be invited into someone's home. This is why we invest heavily in a premium, highly responsive service with consistent staffing. When you have a team member in a client's home for a significant number of hours each week, matching professional skill sets is only half the battle; you must ensure their personalities click beautifully.
There's also a profound social benefit to a private model: every family with the financial capacity to choose private care directly takes the pressure off public funding, freeing up a subsidised package for an older Australian who cannot afford to pay.