Respite at Group Homes Australia

“This is one of the best models of dementia care in an assisted environment that I’ve seen.” Ita Buttrose

The Group Homes Australia model is firmly built on the belief that people should thrive in a home environment. Traditional and beautiful homes, on ordinary suburban streets around Australia, where 6 to 10 residents live together. Residents have 24-hour support including dementia care, palliative and respite care, which is provided by a team of staff that we call Homemakers.

The model is the first of its kind in Australia and focuses on creating a non-institutional way of living that emphasises the resident’s abilities rather than their disabilities.

Group Homes Australia is an innovative and world-leading model offering dementia care, high care, respite and palliative care in a welcoming environment that values independence and resident involvement in the daily activities of the home. Our residents live with dignity and sense of purpose in a small scale environment.

The Group Homes model is the first of its kind in Australia and focuses on creating a home, instead of an institution, that emphasises the resident’s abilities rather than their disabilities. Each home has trained staff on site 24/7, called homemakers, a high ratio of staff to residents – and is the very opposite of the institutionalised care model.

The care team are dementia and aged care trained and they are referred to as Homemakers. Registered Nurses are also available around the clock as well as a full allied health team, and social workers, who visit each home as required.

We offer respite either as a short stay or as a trial with a view to progressing to permanent care. Pricing for respite starts at $398 per day which can be offset with Home Care Package funding. 

Homemakers support and assist residents with their daily needs and activities; they encourage residents to be engaged in shopping, cooking, baking, gardening – the full range of tasks that bring a sense of purpose in a normal home. There are no call bells or nursing trolleys, no rigid routines around waking up, or meal times. The Group Homes Australia model celebrates life, and allows the residents to live with purpose and flourish.