Where to start
Most people arrive here in the same state: something has changed with a parent, you are worried, and you do not know where to begin — or whether you are overreacting. You are not, and you are not alone in it.
This is the part before the services and the forms: noticing, talking about it, and taking the first small step. The rest of AskFam is here for when you know what you need; this is for when you do not yet.
You do not have to fix it all at once
The instinct is to solve everything this week. You do not have to. Most families start with one thing — the lawns, a lift to the doctor, someone to visit — and build from there as trust grows, on both sides.
One small, low-stakes thing that goes well does more to open the door than a grand plan that scares everyone.
The two questions worth answering first
Is it safe? — falls, the stove, medicines, getting confused. If any of those are in the picture, that is not a job for a cleaner or a website; it is a conversation with their GP and My Aged Care on 1800 200 422, the "when you need a person, not a list" territory.
Or is it just getting hard? — the garden, the shopping, the cooking, the loneliness. That is everyday help, it is often subsidised, and it is exactly what AskFam is for.
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.
- Signs your parent might need a hand
- Talking to Mum or Dad about getting help
- Helping a parent from a distance