The 86-year-old has been receiving home care services from Calvary for four years this February and has been a resident of Calvary’s The Homestead retirement village in Adelaide for almost four years.

A recent regular welfare check conducted by an occupational therapist of the Calvary Home Care team identified Mrs Alesiani’s increasing breathlessness caused by a history of lung cancer.

Improving her quality of life

To improve her quality of life and ensure ongoing independence, they arranged for reconstruction of an existing wet cupboard in her apartment to become a hideaway laundry accommodating a combination washer-dryer.

On the cusp of home care packages and funding models changing under the new Aged Care reforms, Mrs Alesiani is encouraging her friends across the retirement village to get the extra support they need and want through home care services to continue living independently for as long as possible.

“I had home care when I had my hip done and with my lung cancer before I moved in here, but I still get it here and I’m very independent,” she said.

“I get help with my shopping and cleaning, and my taxi card to get to my clinic appointments, and now my package has paid for the modifications of my laundry to make it more accessible, except I had to buy my own machine.”

Calvary Service Manager Home Care Adelaide, Constance Arkadianos, said it was important older people accessed services that suited their needs to support genuine ageing in place.

Home Care at Calvary

“Our Calvary Home Care Services in South Australia undertake a comprehensive assessment of clients to understand their current needs and goals, to help consider what they may need in the future and determine what they can access with their package.”

“Most think they can only get support services, but at Calvary Home Care in South Australia we offer acute nursing care and allied health services too,” Ms Arkadianos said.

“And if you want to change your services it’s flexible because it fits in with your lifestyle.”

Calvary Health Care is encouraging older people to consider getting assessed for their home care package in place before the funding changes come into effect on 1 July, 2025.

“A lot of people should apply for it, even if you have to pay a little bit yourself, it is worth it,” Mrs Alesiani added.