Growing older forces change. Change that can impact happiness, independence and aspects of daily living such as relationships, finances, health, safety and housing. To ensure you and your loved one’s future unfolds as you wish, you need to plan ahead. Take the time to understand your options, the care choices available to you and start talking before it’s too late.

Home Instead is a trusted resource for the ever-growing number of Australian families like yours. We strive to help you navigate your journey as a carer with our variety of free senior care resources. From help with understanding the aged care system, negotiating family relationships and difficult conversations to resources on home safety, end-of-life planning and managing conditions such as dementia; helping you find answers is important to us.

Below, we explain the range of free resource booklets that Home Instead has published to help you and your family understand the choices and challenges you may face as you or your loved ones age, and how to have those critical conversations about the future and most importantly, how to plan ahead.

The Home Care Solution

Useful for: finding home care services for an older loved one

Seeking care for an ageing loved one is not an easy decision to make. In fact, many families put the decision off until a crisis emerges – and even then the process can be confusing and stressful. ‘The Home Care Solution’ booklet will help you identify home care solutions, understand how care needs can be managed at home, guide you to find the best care pathway to suit your personal circumstances and understand the changes to government-funded home care services.

Download The Home Care Solution

Recognise the Signs

Useful for: identifying signs your ageing parents need help

There are universal signs that something isn’t right – pointers that remind us that maybe our parents or ageing loved one isn’t coping as well as we thought. ‘Recognise the Signs’ lists the 10 most common signs that an ageing parent, neighbour, friend or loved one may require assistance.

Download Recognise the Signs

When Seniors Say “No!”

Useful for: encouraging your older loved one accept help

Many seniors are very independent and will refuse help – let alone ask for it. They fear becoming a burden to their families or losing their independence. The ‘When Seniors Say “No!”’ booklet features practical tips and insights to help you understand their resistance, identify warning bells and implement strategies to counter resistance to care.

Download When Seniors Say “No!”

Making Home Safer for Seniors

Useful for: ensuring the safety of your older loved ones at home

If your ageing loved one wants to live at home for as long as possible, it is important that their home is, and remains, a safe, healthy and practical living environment. The ‘Making Home Safer for Seniors’ booklet provides practical safety solutions for each room of the home, a home safety checklist to help you identify any risks or hazards and a guide to who to contact for home modification and maintenance support in every state.

Download Making Home Safer for Seniors

Dying at Home

Useful for: planning for end of life care

Talking about dying is difficult. Most people don’t even want to think about it, let alone have a dedicated conversation about it. However, talking about end of life wishes will ensure your loved one’s final days are as meaningful and comfortable as possible. The ‘Dying at Home’ booklet aims to empower, inform and encourage families to discuss death, put necessary plans in place and share their personal wishes.

Download Dying at Home

The 40-70 Rule

Useful for: discussing sensitive senior topics with your ageing parents

If you’re 40, or your parents are 70, it’s time to start talking. ‘The 40-70 Rule’ booklet is designed to help you start even the most difficult conversations with your ageing parents. Taking the time to have critical conversations about the future, where your parents want to live and how they will manage the changes they face as they age, will ensure their needs and wants are clearly understood and will enable you, as a family, to plan for the future accordingly.

Download The 40-70 Rule

The 50-50 Rule

Useful for: overcoming sibling conflict while caring for ageing parents

When sibling relationships start diminishing, so does the quality of their parents care. However, with new approaches, caregiving can make families stronger than ever. 50-50 refers to the average age (50) when siblings are caring for their parents as well as the need for siblings to share in the plans for care (50/50). ‘The 50-50 Rule’ booklet features real-life family situations followed by ideas and resources to help address those issues.

Download The 50-50 Rule

Dementia: A Resource Guide for Carers

Useful for: understanding dementia and learning practical support and communication tips

In Australia, 1 person is diagnosed with dementia every 6 minutes – that’s 1,800 new cases of dementia per week. Worse, an individual with dementia experiences symptoms for an average of 3 years before a firm diagnosis is made. Home Instead’s ‘Dementia: A Resource Guide for Carers’ outlines what dementia is and how it affects people, suggests ways a carer can provide practical support and provides insights and communication tips.

Download Dementia: A Resource Guide for Carers

Caring and Arthritis

Useful for: understanding arthritis and learning practical support tips

Nearly 1 in 5 Australians has arthritis, and 2 out of every 3 people with arthritis are between 15 and 60 years old. Home Instead and Arthritis Queensland have teamed up to develop ‘Caring and Arthritis’. The booklet explains what arthritis is, suggests ways a carer can provide practical support and provides insights and communication tips for carers.

Download Caring and Arthritis

Cooking Under Pressure

Useful for: identifying signs of malnutrition and preparing healthy meals for your older loved one

Healthy eating is essential at all ages, particularly for older people. However, a variety of issues (medications, health problems, cognitive impairments, mobility issues) can jeopardize an older person’s ability to maintain a healthy diet. The ‘Cooking Under Pressure’ booklet is designed to help you identify signs your older loved one is not eating well and prepare nutritious and delicious meals.

Download Cooking Under Pressure

Too Close for Comfort

Useful for: managing a multigenerational household and planning ahead.

Even with the best intentions, changes in family dynamics can lead to conflicts – particularly when a multigenerational family lives under one roof. The ‘Too Close for Comfort’ booklet educates individuals and families about the psychological aspects and emotional issues of living together, creating a senior-friendly home and relevant financial considerations.

Download Too Close for Comfort

As an organisation, we are committed to educating and empowering individuals, families and carers with an understanding of the various home care services and support available to them. The resource booklets listed above are available to you at no charge. Please contact your local Home Instead office for more information.