After his wife’s passing, Ian needed honest and reliable home services for himself. He was initially drawn to The CareSide’s affordable, family-run approach to care, and now, Ian has all the support he needs—and a Care Manager who just gets things done. Here’s his story.
The home care journey is deeply personal. For Ian, it’s a path that began with a lifelong disability and led to a place of trust, autonomy, and genuine human connection with The CareSide.
‘I got polio when I was just 14 months old,’ Ian recalls.
‘In the early 1950s, poliomyelitis was life-threatening. So I’ve had that problem all my life. One leg is a bit shorter; I’ve had surgeries and broken legs. Every time I fell over, I broke a leg.’
Despite his physical challenges, Ian persevered for decades, managing independently until a series of life changes reshaped his circumstances.
‘My wife passed away from Parkinson’s and dementia about 18 months ago. She was on the NDIS, and we had already installed ramps and rails for her in our house. But when she passed, I had to seek my own support.’
Ian, a retired businessman, had self-managed his wife’s extensive care plan, which reached up to $400,000 in funding. But when it came time to access support for himself, he knew he didn’t want to go down the same path. ‘I didn’t want to self-manage again,’ he says. ‘I just wanted someone I could trust, someone responsive. And I didn’t want to get lost in a big system.’
An occupational therapist who supported his family guided Ian through the application process. It took time. He endured weeks without a response and a six-month wait for funding approval even after he was deemed eligible.
‘When the senior assessor finally rang me, I told her I couldn’t wait that long,’ he explains. ‘My wife had passed, and I was paying out of pocket. Thankfully, she listened and things started moving.’
Ian soon learned about The CareSide and made contact. He now credits that decision for making his transition into care seamless and empowering.
‘I wanted a smaller provider, someone I could talk to—and The CareSide has been brilliant,’ he says decisively. ‘From the start, the communication has been spot on. If I’ve got a question, I get an answer straight away. Everything is transparent and efficient.’
Ian’s Care Manager, Carla, has been a particularly bright standout during his time with The CareSide.
‘She’s professional, friendly, a bit of fun… and things get done. That makes a huge difference,’ he says.
Ian recalls one incident early on when a third-party organisation caused confusion with his care plan. ‘They called me out of the blue, six months too late, saying they needed to assign me a care manager and create a new plan,’ he shares. ‘They were rude to one of my carers, too. I just went straight to Carla and said, “Can you sort this?” And she did. I never heard from them again.’
Ian’s trust in The CareSide only deepened after that moment.
From liaising with his allied health team to processing reimbursements with ease, he’s felt supported every step of the way. ‘I already had therapists I wanted to work with. My podiatrist wasn’t keen at first, because he’d had bad experiences [with other providers],’ Ian recalls. ‘Now he thinks the system is so good. He just submits the bill and gets paid.’
Compared to friends on similar Home Care Packages, Ian’s positive experience is an outlier. He shares stories about his mates at the pub who struggle with non-communicative providers. Their questions don’t get answered, their payments don’t get processed, and their surplus funds sit unused because they’re unsure how to leverage them.
‘I’ve told all of them to jump ship,’ Ian says. ‘I keep working on those guys, I recommend The CareSide every time.’
For Ian, the difference isn’t just in the services—it’s in the values. ‘Carla always reminds me that it’s my money. It’s not up to her to police me as long as what I’m buying is reasonable.’
Affordability was also a key concern. ‘One of my conditions when looking for a provider was value for money,’ Ian recalls. ‘There are big multinationals out there that charge through the roof. The CareSide’s rates are very acceptable—they’re not ripping anyone off.’
Reflecting on his journey, Ian recognises how critical it is to have the right people on your side—especially when navigating bureaucracy, emotions, and life after loss.
For older Australians considering home care, Ian’s advice is clear: Advocate for yourself, find people you trust, and don’t settle for a one-size-fits-all approach.
‘The main thing I’ve always said is communication—just communicate,’ he explains. ‘If there’s an issue, let’s talk it out, and if things are good, we will talk about [that too],’ he states.
Ian’s story is a powerful reminder that quality home care is about more than services: it’s about relationships, respect, and reliability. With proper support, navigating home care doesn’t have to be daunting. It can be a journey of dignity and connection, just like it has been for Ian.
