Social Services and Community Groups

At Aunty Grace, we believe that Home Care is about staying well and living life to the fullest, regardless of circumstance.

Understanding the pivotal role of social connections in fostering a fulfilling life, Aunty Grace wholeheartedly supports our clients in accessing a diverse array of social activities and community groups.

Here are some examples of the social engagements our clients delight in:

• Local council and community groups: Aunty Grace works with many local community organisations that provide social group services. These are a great way to stay connected with the local community and are often an affordable way to stay socially engaged.
  
  
• Group exercise sessions: group exercise can also be a great way to take part in social activities, with the added benefit of being great for your physical health too! Remember, exercise doesn’t just have to be the gym – activities like dancing, yoga and tai chi can be a fantastic way to stay healthy.
  
  
• Group social outings: Aunty Grace also has a number of partner organisations who run fun social outings and bus services. These usually include a full door-to-door pickup service, with a great range of activities and experiences, such as sightseeing tours, visits to galleries and markets.
  
  
• Accompanied transport: many people enjoy the ability to get out and do things for themselves, which is where accompanied transport services can be helpful. We can organise a care worker to take you out shopping, go to appointments and provide companionship at the same time. For those who prefer to travel alone, the HCP program can also subsidise taxi transport for travel to and from appointments and activities, in many cases.
  
  
• Companionship services, including the Aged Care Volunteer Visitors Scheme: not everyone prefers to do things in a group, and the Home Care Package program can also cover one-to-one companionship services, that can also overlap with domestic assistance or personal care. The Aged Care Volunteer Visitors scheme also provides a similar service, and you can find out more about this from your Care Partner or our Concierge team.

Simply initiate a conversation with your dedicated Care Partner, sharing your interests and preferences. We'll collaboratively devise a personalised Care Plan tailored to your aspirations, seamlessly organising the services you desire.

If you already have a social or community group that you attend or know about, we may be able to use your Home Care Package funds to support this. Just remember, your funds can’t be used to pay for a membership, so any services you receive will need to be itemised for each appointment or service you attend. There are also rules around services that are supported by other government funding.

Your Care Partner can help you to find out if your social activity qualifies under the Home Care Package program. Once we know about your social group and we’ve checked that it can be covered by your HCP funds, we’ll go about entering a partnership with the organisation that runs the group. This allows us to monitor the safety and quality of the services you receive, which we’re required to do by law.

If you don’t have a group that you’re already interested in, but you want to know what groups and social outings you can access through Aunty Grace, you can also ask your Care Partner or our Concierge team what’s available in your local area. Because we have a network of partners that we work with to provide social activities, there’s something for everyone.

Finally, if you’d like to arrange someone to take you shopping, go to appointments with you or just some companionship, we’ll simply go and find a care worker for you that suits your needs and preferences! At Aunty Grace, we take a lot of care to make sure we find someone you can trust and connect with.

If you want to know more about social services and community groups, give Aunty Grace a call today or speak with your Care Partner.