Start here
How to find a caregiver in Australia
Whether you are looking for an hour of help each morning or full daily support, the search goes better when you know what you need, which funding applies, and what to compare.
Written and reviewed by the My Caregiver editorial team · Last reviewed September 2026 · Editorial policy
First, describe the week you actually have
Before you contact anyone, write down a normal week. Not the ideal one — the real one. When does the person get up, and does that go well? Who cooks? What happens on shower days? Which appointments repeat? Where does the household run out of energy?
This single page of notes does more work than any search filter. It tells a provider whether they can staff your hours, tells you whether one long visit beats three short ones, and stops the conversation drifting into services you do not need.
What to have written down before you enquire
- The specific tasks you want help with, in order of importance
- The days and times you need someone, and how flexible they are
- The suburb and any access details — stairs, parking, pets, keys
- Any health, mobility or communication needs a worker should know about
- Whether you have an assessment, a funding package or are paying privately
- Who makes decisions and who should be contacted in an emergency
Work out which lane you are in
Australia funds care through separate systems, and each one has its own front door. Which lane you are in determines who you should be talking to.
- Older Australians generally start with an aged care assessment before subsidised support at home or in residential care can begin. See our aged care guide.
- People living with disability may be supported through the NDIS, with funded supports set out in a plan. See disability and NDIS support.
- Veterans may be eligible for support through the Department of Veterans' Affairs, which is assessed separately again.
- Private arrangements need no assessment at all. You pay directly and choose who you like — which is faster, but puts more of the responsibility on you.
You can mix funded and private support
Where Australians actually look
Most searches start in one of five places: a referral from a GP, hospital discharge planner or allied health professional; a government service finder; a care-provider directory; a peer recommendation; or a general web search that lands on an agency. Each has a bias worth knowing about.
Referrals are usually reliable but narrow — you get the provider that clinician knows. General search results favour whoever invests in marketing, which is not the same as whoever suits your household. Directories are broader, but you still have to do the comparing.
ORCAA Connect is a care-provider directory built from authoritative register data, with transparent trust indicators and no paid ranking, so what you see is not ordered by who paid the most. Use it to build a shortlist, then verify the details that matter to you directly with each provider.
Compare on the things that break
Arrangements rarely fail because of the hourly rate. They fail because nobody could cover the Tuesday shift, or the worker changed every fortnight, or the invoice included travel nobody mentioned. Compare on those points.
- Coverage — your exact suburb, at your exact times, including weekends.
- Continuity — will it be the same person, and how often does that change?
- Backup — who attends when the regular worker is sick, and how much notice do you get?
- Scope — exactly which tasks are included, and which are explicitly excluded.
- Cost in writing — the full rate card, including evenings, weekends, public holidays, travel and any management fees.
- Fit — after a trial visit, does the person receiving care actually want them back?
Local guides
How a care search plays out depends a lot on where you live. These guides cover coverage patterns, travel, timing and local questions worth asking.
See the full list of location guides.
Common questions
Is 'caregiver' the right word to search for in Australia?
Australians use several terms for the same work: caregiver, carer, care worker, support worker and personal care assistant. 'Carer' often means an unpaid family member, so if you are looking to pay someone, searching for 'support worker', 'care worker' or 'in-home care' as well will surface more results.
Can I hire a caregiver privately instead of using a provider?
Yes. Many Australians arrange care privately, either directly or through a platform. It usually costs less per hour, but you take on more responsibility for insurance, tax, backup cover and supervision. Compare it honestly against an agency or approved provider before deciding.
How long does it take to arrange care?
Privately arranged help can start within days if someone suitable is available. Government-subsidised support depends on assessment and, for some programs, waiting periods, so it can take considerably longer. Where a wait applies, ask for a realistic timeframe in writing.
What if the first caregiver is not the right fit?
That is common and not a failure. Agree a short trial period up front and a simple way to raise concerns, so changing early is straightforward rather than awkward.
Last reviewed September 2026. General information for Australian readers — not medical, legal or financial advice.