People who come to them
When getting out is the hard part, the answer is often somebody who comes in. Far more of these are mobile than people realise.
Small things that are not small
Feet are the one people underestimate. Toenails nobody can reach are a genuine falls risk, and a mobile podiatrist is frequently subsidised.
A haircut at home is not a luxury either. For somebody who has not been out in a fortnight, it is often the thing that lifts a week.
And help with a phone or a tablet is worth asking for by name — several free programs teach older people to use them, run through libraries and community centres.
Is it paid for?
Often, at least partly. My Aged Care is the government front door for anyone over 65, and the assessment that decides what is subsidised is free. For someone under 65 living with disability, that role belongs to the NDIS.
The assessment is the step people skip, and it is the one that unlocks everything else. It is also slow — weeks, sometimes months — so it is worth starting even if you arrange something privately in the meantime.
What AskFam does and does not do
AskFam works out what you need and points you at services that already exist. It does not employ anyone, does not arrange the work, and takes no fee or commission — from you or from them.
It also has not checked anybody. Where you see a business listed, that is a public listing, not a recommendation. Where somebody offers on a job you posted, that is them describing themselves, in their own words. Ask for what matters to you, and take your time about it.