What is a Self-Managed Home Care Package — and Why It’s Changing Lives

A self-managed Home Care Package is a government-funded support option that lets older Australians oversee their own care services. Instead of a provider making every decision on your behalf, you decide how the funding is used—whether it’s for help around the house, personal care, clinical support, or allied health therapies. You’re in charge of hiring, scheduling, and directing your care team, while we handle the compliance in the background.

It’s not about doing everything yourself—it’s about having the choice.

Many in Rockhampton are discovering how liberating this model can be. For individuals who’ve spent a lifetime making decisions for their families, communities, or businesses, this approach simply feels more natural. It restores a sense of purpose and independence, without removing professional guidance and protection.

Here’s how it changes lives:

• Freedom to Choose – Pick the care workers you feel safe with. Choose who enters your home and supports your routines.
   
• Flexible Scheduling – Arrange support around your lifestyle, not the other way around.
   
• Better Use of Funds – Reduce unnecessary provider fees and redirect more funds toward actual care hours.
   
• Cultural Compatibility – Select carers who understand your language, values, and way of life.
   
• Quiet Support – With Support Network in the background, you gain expert help with care budgets, service agreements, and the aged care standards—without ever feeling micromanaged.

This isn't about managing alone. It’s about having the reins, with a steady hand beside you if things ever get complex. That’s the balance we offer—and it’s making a world of difference.

Freedom to Choose the Right Carers for Your Life

In Rockhampton, more and more families are choosing to self-manage their Home Care Packages because it brings something precious back into focus—the freedom to choose. At its core, self-management is not just about handling funds; it’s about selecting the right people to walk beside you each day. People you trust. People who truly listen. People who see the person, not just the task.

Through Support Network, you’re never left to navigate it all alone. You gain the ability to choose from experienced, compassionate carers and support workers who are matched to your preferences, lifestyle, and care goals. Every individual is different. So every support plan should reflect that—with no compromises.

Let’s walk through some of the services you can tailor around your life:

Home Care

Your home is your comfort zone, and we believe it should feel just that way—familiar, safe, and supportive. Our carers help you remain independent at home by providing gentle, consistent help where needed. Whether it’s light cleaning, help with meal preparation, or simply ensuring the house is safe and welcoming, the support is always respectful and unintrusive.

Our carers don’t just perform tasks—they build trust, take time, and work with care that’s quiet but thorough. With self-management, you choose the home care worker who aligns with your daily rhythm, someone who brings ease into your routine without disrupting the life you love.

Daily Living

The little tasks that once felt simple can become more complex over time. We’re here to help keep those tasks within reach—without taking over. From grooming to dressing, from preparing a meal to organising the day, our care workers step in to support—not dictate.

You’ll get to choose someone who understands how you prefer things done, respects your habits, and helps you move through your day with dignity intact. Every moment matters, and having someone by your side who respects your independence can make all the difference.

Domestic Assistance

A tidy home can lift the spirit. When everyday chores start to feel like a challenge, having the right person to lend a hand can ease both physical and emotional stress. Our carers help with cleaning, laundry, organising, and other household tasks that allow you to stay in control of your space.

Because you choose your support worker, you can find someone you feel comfortable welcoming into your home—someone you trust, someone who listens. The support becomes seamless, and your home stays yours in every way.

24 Hour Care

When care is needed around the clock, trust becomes everything. Our carers who provide 24-hour support do more than fill shifts—they become part of the home’s rhythm. They learn the details that matter: when you like your tea, what time you rest, what calms you during the day.

With self-management, you can build a small, dedicated team you know and rely on. Care becomes consistent, familiar, and safe—whether it’s overnight reassurance, day-time support, or round-the-clock supervision for high-level needs.

Personal Care

Dignity is deeply personal. That’s why personal care is one of the most important areas to have choice and control. When it comes to showering, dressing, grooming, and toileting, it’s essential to work with someone who treats you with the utmost respect and sensitivity.

Our carers are trained to deliver this care gently, with discretion and compassion. Through self-managed care, you choose who delivers this support—someone who makes you feel safe, understood, and in control.

Overnight Care

The nights can be the hardest time to feel alone. Overnight care offers comfort and reassurance, especially for those with medical conditions, cognitive concerns, or simply a need for company. You can select a carer who understands your evening routine, who is alert but calming, and who provides support without disturbing your sleep more than needed.

We ensure every carer working overnight is dependable and experienced, so you can rest easy knowing someone is always there.

Disability Care

Each person’s journey with disability is unique, and so is their care. Our disability care team supports people of all ages with varying needs—physical, intellectual, and psychosocial. With self-managed packages, you can find carers who not only understand your specific diagnosis but who respect the goals you’re working toward.

Our support workers build genuine partnerships, offering encouragement, practical help, and long-term commitment. This is care that grows with you.

Disability Support

Independence doesn’t always mean doing it all alone. Sometimes it means having the right kind of help when it’s needed. From accessing community resources to developing life skills, our disability support workers walk alongside participants with purpose and patience.

You have the freedom to select support workers who connect with you on a human level, who celebrate your progress, and who genuinely want to see you thrive—not just cope.

Complex Care

When care becomes more complex—due to medical needs, chronic conditions, or advanced age—experience and skill become essential. Our carers are trained to manage everything from wound care to medication assistance to feeding via PEG.

With self-management, you don’t have to settle for unfamiliar faces. You can build a small team of reliable professionals who are clinically capable but also deeply compassionate. Consistency and familiarity in complex care are not luxuries—they’re essential.

High Care

High care needs call for more than standard support. They demand vigilance, strength, and unwavering attentiveness. Our high care support workers are selected for both their training and their temperament—calm under pressure, respectful of limitations, and always responsive.

Through self-managed care, you can choose who meets these needs, ensuring your safety, comfort, and wellbeing are always prioritised by people who are truly capable.

Social and Community Participation

A full life doesn’t stop at home. It includes friendships, hobbies, events, and community. Our carers help you get out and about—attend events, enjoy outings, or simply stay socially active in a way that feels natural to you.

You choose someone who gets you, who knows how to support without taking over, and who helps you feel confident in the world again. Sometimes, it’s not the activity itself—but the right companion—that makes all the difference.

Behaviour Support

Behaviour support requires patience, consistency, and specialised knowledge. Our team includes support workers trained in positive behaviour strategies to assist individuals with behavioural challenges. With a calm approach and personalised strategies, they help create stable, supportive environments where progress can take root.

You can work with someone who earns your trust slowly, listens deeply, and supports not just your needs, but your goals and values.

Dedicated Support for Every Health Condition and Need

When someone’s health changes, so does their world. And in those moments—whether it's a diagnosis, a shift in mobility, or just the weight of everyday care—what matters most is having the right person by your side. Someone who understands not just the condition, but the person behind it. That’s the kind of support self-managed care makes possible.

With a Home Care Package you manage yourself, you get to choose the carers who are best suited for your specific health needs. That means you're not just matched to a service—you choose a person. A person who understands your journey, respects your pace, and supports your life with kindness and skill.

Here are some of the condition-specific supports we can help arrange through your package.

Arthritis Care

For many people living with arthritis, it’s not just the pain—it’s the unpredictability. Some days are better than others. That’s why carers who support arthritis need to be adaptable, gentle, and patient. Our team helps with small movements, household tasks, dressing, and mobility aids—all while making sure you never feel rushed or dependent. With the right support, your independence stays intact.

Autism Care

Autism isn’t one-size-fits-all, and neither is support. We connect individuals with carers who are experienced in supporting neurodivergent people, not just clinically—but in a way that feels natural and respectful. Whether it’s help building routines, encouraging social confidence, or navigating daily life calmly, the focus is on support that suits the individual—not the system.

Cancer Care

Cancer care is personal. There’s often fatigue, discomfort, and a need for gentle reassurance. Our carers provide help where it’s needed most—getting dressed, preparing meals, managing medication, or just being nearby during tough moments. It’s not about ticking boxes. It’s about offering steady, soft care that doesn’t get in the way but makes hard days feel a little lighter.

Epilepsy Care

Living with epilepsy means always being prepared—and that’s something our carers understand deeply. They’re trained to handle seizures safely and know how to provide reassurance before, during, and after. But support doesn’t stop there. It continues in the quiet moments—when confidence is shaken, or routine feels fragile. The right carer brings calm, knowledge, and a sense of safety to each day.

Heart Disease Care

When energy drops, when breath shortens, or when the body simply asks for rest, it helps to have someone there who understands the signs. Our carers provide thoughtful assistance for those living with heart disease, whether that’s helping around the home, preparing healthy meals, or simply noticing when something feels off. Gentle support can go a long way when your heart needs protecting.

Huntington's Disease Care

Huntington’s affects movement, thinking, and mood. That’s why it takes more than care—it takes commitment. Our carers help with coordination, safety, emotional support, and managing the gradual changes that often come with this condition. They’re consistent, calm, and respectful of each stage. When you choose who supports you, you build relationships that stay steady, even when things shift.

Mental Health

Mental health needs don’t always show themselves loudly—but they shape daily life in big ways. Whether someone is living with depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, or another condition, what helps most is steady, kind presence. Our carers offer structure, social encouragement, and gentle assistance with daily routines—always free of judgment, always led with care. You get to decide who feels right to have by your side.

Motor Neurone Disease (MND) Care

With MND, things can change quickly. Muscles weaken, speech fades, and everyday tasks become harder. Our carers work with sensitivity, helping with mobility, feeding, communication tools, and physical comfort. More than that, they listen—to you, to your pace, to how much or little support you want. Self-managed care means choosing someone who walks that path with you, gently and respectfully.

Muscular Dystrophy

Living with muscular dystrophy often means needing support that strengthens independence—not takes it away. Our carers assist with transfers, breathing support, equipment use, and daily routines, all while encouraging the person to stay active in decisions. You choose who’s with you—someone who understands the condition and treats you as a whole person, not just a diagnosis.

Out of Hospital Care

Leaving hospital can feel like a relief, but also a bit uncertain. Recovery at home is different—it’s quieter, less clinical, but still full of needs. Our carers help bridge that space. They support you with medications, rest, wound care, and comfort. They’re there when the house feels too quiet or when energy runs low. And you decide who’s there, not a system.

Parkinson’s Disease Care

Tremors, slowness, changes in movement—Parkinson’s affects the rhythm of life. But with the right support, that rhythm doesn’t disappear. Our carers are familiar with the progression of symptoms and offer help with walking, eating, dressing, and speech. But more than that, they bring calm. They stay steady. And because you choose your carer, there’s familiarity every step of the way.

Palliative Care

When time becomes more precious, so does comfort. Palliative care is not just about clinical needs—it’s about emotional peace, spiritual support, and being present. Our carers assist with personal care, medication, and comfort, but they also bring quiet strength and sensitivity. With self-management, you decide who shares those final moments—not a roster, but someone who truly sees you.

Dementia Care

Dementia care is as much about understanding as it is about assistance. Familiar routines, patient words, quiet reassurance—all of this helps maintain dignity. Our carers don’t just help with tasks; they provide calm, consistent presence that can ground someone who feels lost. Choosing the same carers through self-management means less confusion, fewer new faces, and a deeper sense of trust.

Support Network’s Platform: Making Self-Management Simple

Choosing to self-manage your Home Care Package shouldn’t feel like navigating paperwork or chasing invoices. At Support Network, we’ve carefully built a platform that does the heavy lifting in the background—so you can stay focused on what matters most: your wellbeing, your care team, and your peace of mind.

The system is easy to understand, and even easier to use. Whether you’re arranging care on your own or supported by a family member, everything is laid out clearly, without unnecessary jargon or complexity. It puts you in control—without overwhelming you.

Here’s how it quietly supports you behind the scenes:

• Posting Jobs Made EasyWhen you’re looking for a new carer, you don’t need to start from scratch. Our platform lets you post clear job ads and review applicants who match your needs, whether that’s for personal care, domestic help, or condition-specific support.
   
• Smooth Invoice ManagementEvery invoice from your care team is stored in one place. You can check them, approve them, and keep track of what’s paid—no clutter, no confusion. It’s simple enough for anyone to handle with confidence.
   
• Approve Timesheets Without the FussRather than going back and forth with providers, you can approve timesheets directly from your dashboard. It gives you clear visibility into care hours, while making sure nothing gets missed.
   
• Stay on Top of Your BudgetWhether it’s weekly care or occasional support, your dashboard helps you monitor how much of your Home Care Package is used and what’s left. It takes the stress out of planning and makes room for flexibility.
   

With Support Network quietly managing compliance, safety standards, and financial reporting behind the curtain, you’re never alone. You stay in charge of your care, but never out of your depth. That’s what true self-management should feel like—light, empowering, and reassuring.

Why More People Are Choosing to Self-Manage Their Home Care Package

There’s something powerful about knowing you can make your own choices. For many older Australians and their families, self-managing a Home Care Package brings that freedom back into their lives. It means shaping your care around what actually matters to you—not just what’s available through a traditional provider.

It’s not about taking on extra work. It’s about taking back control—with someone quietly guiding you when you need it. At Support Network, we’ve seen firsthand how self-management gives people space to breathe, to plan, and to feel more secure in their care journey.

Here are a few of the reasons people are making the shift:

• More Say, Less StructureYou choose your care workers. You pick your hours. There’s no need to adjust to someone else’s schedule when the support is built around your day-to-day life.
   
• Keep Costs Low, Get More CareWith lower provider fees, more of your budget goes toward the hours of care you actually receive. That means more support, without extra spending.
   
• Match With Carers Who Truly Understand YouWhen you self-manage, you’re not just accepting whoever’s available. You’re selecting carers who share your values, speak your language, or simply “get you.” That connection changes everything.
   
• See Everything, ClearlyYou always know what’s happening. From timesheets to budget summaries, you have full visibility over your care without having to chase anyone for answers.
   
• Support in the Background When You Need ItYou’re never doing it alone. Support Network, as a trusted NDIS provider, is always there to handle the compliance side—so you can stay focused on the people and care that matter.

Contact Us

If you’re looking for more say in how your support is delivered, you’re not alone. Many people across Rockhampton are stepping into self-managed care to shape their own path—one that reflects who they are and how they want to live.

At Support Network, we’re here to help you navigate every step, from understanding your care plan to making sense of government funding. Whether your needs are simple or more complex, we’ll make sure you’re supported with kindness and honesty.

Give our team a call on 1300 671 931. We’re not here to push decisions—we’re here to walk with you until you’re confident about what’s next.