Private Home Care in Australia: Support Without the Wait

Private in-home care can be arranged on a short-term basis when you need extra support at home without waiting for a government-funded package or assessment. It can be helpful after a hospital stay, during a change in health or circumstances, or while waiting for aged care or disability support to begin. Through Just Better Care, private home care support can include help with daily living, domestic assistance, transport, social connection and nursing, tailored to your personal needs.

Sometimes, people need extra support at home before long-term care is in place. You may be waiting for a My Aged Care assessment, sitting on an aged care waiting list, recovering after a hospital stay, or looking for private carers near you to help with day-to-day tasks. This article explains how short-term private in-home care can support you or your loved one, what types of services are available, and how Just Better Care can help arrange flexible support when you need it.

Arrange short-term care privately through Just Better Care, with services including daily living assistance, transport, social connection and nursing.

Personalised, short-term support can be arranged privately for when you come home from the hospital or while you wait for government-funded support.

Private Home Care (also known as self-funded, user pays or fee-for-service care) can be arranged quickly and flexibly when you need it through a provider like Just Better Care.

100,000+

Australians are waiting for home care – short-term private support can provide peace of mind for families

With more than 100,000 Australians waiting for home care, Gemma, Clinical Governance Manager at Just Better Care, says short-term private support can provide peace of mind for families.

“We receive many requests each month from people looking for short-term support in the home. This can be for a range of reasons but is commonly from people who are waiting for aged care assessments to receive government-funded support.”
— Gemma, Clinical Governance Manager, Just Better Care

When to use short-term care

Post hospital support

Studies show people who can safely leave the hospital and recover at home sooner have better health outcomes.

Being surrounded by the familiar comforts of home and having access to quality support on hand can help people sleep better, stay socially connected and be more active.

Our teams at Just Better Care can help you transition from hospital to home care, with services backed by clinical and healthcare professionals.

Support can be provided as an intensive service for a short time, or in more varied ways as you need them over a longer period, depending on your recovery needs.

Extra support for people living with disability

Short-term private support can be arranged for people living with disabilities to cover a change in circumstances or health, or to add to an existing plan.

This might be for when you want additional hours beyond a funded package or when you are waiting for an NDIS assessment or referral.

Cassandra used short-term private support to add extra disability support hours to her daughter’s plan.

“Jenny thinks her Support Workers from Just Better Care are fantastic. I added another four hours a week so she can go to the local NDIS movie club with her friends at the cinema. She looks forward to it every week!”
— Cassandra

While waiting for aged care assessments

According to the Access to the Aged Care Act 2024 Wait Times Report, older Australians were waiting an average of 12 months from the time of application to the start of government-funded support.

12 months → 3 months

The Government has committed to reducing average wait times for Support at Home customers by 1 July 2027

By paying privately for in-home support services, you don’t have to go through My Aged Care, meaning there’s no need to go through the assessment application process and waiting period.

Private care means you can begin receiving professional, in-home support right away.

If you already receive government-funded support, many customers also pay to ‘top up’ their package with more hours or additional services.

What type of short-term support is available?

Private in-home support services range from everyday assistance such as personal care, domestic help, and social connection to more complex clinical support.

At Just Better Care, all support services are delivered by local teams of qualified and experienced Support Workers, Registered and Enrolled Nurses, and industry healthcare professionals.

The Just Better Care team will assist you every step of the way to develop a diverse plan of support with all the services you need, when you need them.

Private Home Care support services

Private Home Care services can include the same kinds of practical and personal support that people often receive through government-subsidised programs, like:

Help with daily living
Domestic assistance
Transport
Social support

Private nursing

As more Australians choose to remain at home, demand for private in-home nursing care continues to grow. This is bespoke clinical support delivered by Registered and Enrolled Nurses, and tailored to each customer’s health conditions, preferences and daily routines.

Support can be short-term or provided 24/7 for people transitioning from hospital to home. Just Better Care offices also have access to a range of local allied health professionals, including occupational therapists, physiotherapists, nutritionists, podiatrists and more, if you need these supports as well.

How to arrange Private Home Care

Paid support services can be tailored to your health needs and personal circumstances – arranged on a short- or long-term basis.

You can work directly with your local Just Better Care office to develop a personalised support plan, paying for support only when and as you need it.

Follow these steps to arrange private short-term support at home:

1	Visit Just Better Care’s website and learn what private support services are available.
2	Contact your local Just Better Care office to discuss your private care options.
3	Or make an enquiry about private care online, and one of the Just Better Care team will get back to you.

Contact your local Just Better Care office today to arrange private support services that you can start receiving without a waitlist.

Contact your local office

Frequently asked questions

How much does private care cost?

Private care is personalised, so costs can vary depending on the level and frequency of support. These resources explain what can influence pricing and how families plan support.

Every office is independently owned, operated and managed, and as such, the billing arrangements and terms of payment can vary between offices.

How much notice do I need to give to cancel or reschedule services?

This will vary between Just Better Care locations, as well as penalties such as cancellation fees. Typically, cancellations are accepted at no additional charge within 48 hours of the shift commencing.

Your Service Agreement will list all the terms and conditions applicable to your support services, including how the local office handles cancellations and rescheduling.

Are there private carers near me?

Yes, every state of Australia has a Just Better Care location. They have a defined geographic area in which they operate. Head to our getting started page and enter your postcode to see if Just Better Care is available in your home suburb.