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With over a million Australians accessing aged care at home in some capacity, carers are becoming more like family and everyday support is growing into lasting friendship across the country.
When Lisa Wells first walked into George and Margaret Rodgers home three Christmases ago in Victoria, she was there to help George with showering and other personal care, as well as cleaning around the house.
What none of them could have known was that it would blossom into something much deeper.
Today, Lisa isn’t just a carer. She’s family.
“We love her to death,” says Margaret. “She goes over and beyond what she’s supposed to do.”
The independent contractor now visits the couple three times a week, continuing her personal care support for George and taking Margaret out shopping once a week.
But it’s the connection between them that has made the biggest difference.
“To me, they’re like my own family,” Lisa says.
“It’s not about the money. It’s about the care. When their daughter travels, she knows I’ll always check in, take them to the doctor if they need, or just have a coffee and a good chat. That’s what care should be.”
The couple, both in their 80s and originally from Northern Ireland, were so moved by Lisa’s dedication they nominated her for Ageing Australia’s national You Are ACE! Award, which recognises aged care workers going above and beyond.
For George, the best part of having Lisa around is “the joy” she brings.
“We just want to stay at home as long as we can and with Lisa, we feel safe doing that,” he says.
Lisa’s path to aged care was shaped by loyalty and experience, working with the same manager for over a decade, and following her across different providers before being contracted to Care Connect, where she met George and Margaret.
Along the way, she also discovered a surprising connection: a mutual friend from childhood.
“So we had this unexpected connection that made everything feel even more personal, like we were always meant to cross paths,” says Lisa
Tom Symondson, CEO of Ageing Australia, says stories like Lisa’s show the importance of home care.
“Having access to home care is vital to older Australians. Staying in their own homes isn’t just a preference, it’s a fundamental part of maintaining their independence, dignity and connections to their own communities, close to family and friends,” he says.
“Enabling older Australians to remain in their own homes also has a flow on affect to the entire health and aged care systems.
Without access to home care many older Australians are forced into unnecessary hospital admissions, as well as adding to growing waiting lists for residential aged care, when they could be cared for at home.”
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