Mornings that work
A support worker comes three mornings a week for showering and dressing. It is the same worker each time, and it starts at the hour that suits the household rather than the roster.
Services
Independence
Support that helps you stay active, connected and in control, from personal care to getting out and about.
What this covers
About independence
Independence covers the support that keeps you doing the things that make a day yours: getting up and dressed, getting out of the house, seeing people, and giving the person who cares for you a genuine break.
It is the category people find hardest to ask for, because accepting help with a shower feels different from accepting help with the lawn. Done properly it works the other way round. The right support at the right moment is what keeps you in charge of the rest of your day rather than spending all your energy on the first hour of it.
A full pensioner contributes 5% towards these services and the government covers the other 95%. Part pensioners and Commonwealth Seniors Health Card holders sit on a scale between 5% and 50%, assessed by Services Australia on income and assets.
This is probably you if
- Showering or dressing has become slow, tiring or unsafe
- You are managing alone and it is taking everything you have
- A family carer is exhausted and has not had a break in months
- You have stopped going to things you used to enjoy
- You no longer drive, and getting to appointments is the problem
- Days go by without you speaking to anyone
None of these needs to be true before you call. Half of one is enough to start a conversation.
The services
What is included
Choose any combination. Each one can start small and change as your needs change.
Personal Care
Support with daily personal tasks like showering, dressing and grooming.
Learn more
Respite Care
Short-term care that gives you or your family carer a break.
Learn more
Social Support & Community Engagement
Help staying connected to community, friends and activities that matter to you.
Learn more
Transport & Appointments
Getting to appointments, shopping and social activities safely and reliably.
Learn moreIn practice
What this looks like week to week
Illustrative examples of how support in this area is usually combined. Your own plan is built from your assessment and your preferences.
A carer who gets a break
Respite is booked as a regular weekly block so the family carer can count on it, with longer periods arranged when they need to travel or have their own health to attend to.
Getting back out
Transport to a standing Thursday appointment, plus social support for an outing that has nothing to do with health. Both are ordinary parts of a plan, not extras.
What it costs
Your share of the price
Under Support at Home your contribution is set by the category a service falls into, not by the provider. These are government settings.
Independence
Personal care, respite, assistive technology, home modifications
Government 95%
Full pensioner 5%
A full pensioner pays 5%. The government covers the rest. Part pensioner or Commonwealth Seniors Health Card 5–50%, self-funded 50%, assessed by Services Australia.
Contribution rates are Australian Government settings, last checked 15 September 2026. Our own service prices are commercial figures set by Bamboo Care. See pricing and contributions for both.
Questions
About independence
We take your preferences into account when matching support workers, including gender preference where that matters to you, and we work to keep the same people coming so you are not re-explaining your routine.
Showering and bathing, dressing and grooming, mobility and transfers, continence support and medication prompts. It is delivered at the pace and in the way you prefer.
Yes. From 1 October 2026 personal care moves from the Independence category to Clinical supports, which means the Australian Government fully funds it and participants with it approved in their support plan pay nothing out of pocket for it. Services delivered before that date are not refunded.
No. Respite can be delivered in your own home, which is often what suits both the person receiving care and the carer taking the break.
Other service areas
Most people combine support from more than one area. Independence is most often paired with Everyday Living.
Ready to get started?
Talk to our care team about your situation. No obligation, no pressure.