Quality in-home care can play an important role in happy, healthy ageing
By Linda Feldt, ACH Group Chief Executive
This week is South Australia’s Week of Ageing Well and I’ve been reflecting on what helps people to live well as they get older.
It starts with connection: spending time with family, and enjoying friendships that span decades. These meaningful relationships are backed up by places that feel like home and routines that bring comfort and purpose to our days.
They’re things that may be taken for granted, until they become harder to maintain.
Rayleen Devenport, 82, lives in the house she and her husband built 60 years ago. She values regular chats with neighbours, many of whom have lived in the street for decades. She loves playing cards with her friends twice a week at the local RSL and spending time with her children and five grandchildren, taking great pride in their achievements.
Rayleen wants nothing more than to continue living in her home. But she knows that, as her health needs increase, staying at home would not be possible without in-home care.
ACH Group’s Support at Home team visit Rayleen for personal care, assisting her with getting ready for the day and living well at home. The team also provides occupational therapy to keep her safe at home and fitness training to maintain strength.
At ACH Group, we hear stories like Rayleen’s every day. They are a reminder that personal care is rarely about a single activity. It is about having the support to continue with the things that matter.
This is why the changes that recently took effect under the Support at Home program are so important.
Since October 1, approved personal care services, including showering, dressing and medication assistance, have moved to the Clinical Supports category.
Importantly, this means customer contributions will no longer be required for these essential services for people approved with an applicable Support at Home package.
ACH Group has long advocated for this change because we know personal care is fundamental to health, dignity and the ability to remain at home safely.
While this may be described as a funding change, it reflects something much bigger.
It recognises that personal care is essential care and acknowledges the role it plays in helping people maintain their independence and continue living the life they choose.
The Week of Ageing Well encourages us to think about what supports a good life.
For many people, it’s the ability to keep participating in the moments that matter: family celebrations, regular coffee outings with friends, and community gatherings.
The routines and relationships that bring connection, purpose and enjoyment to everyday life.
To continue participating in activities such as these, sometimes a little help makes a big difference.
Pictured: ACH Group Support at Home customer Rayleen Devenport with support worker Jed Mendoza.
This article has been published in The Sunday Mail on Sunday 4 October 2026
