Stella's story

When Stella was in her late 60s, her Parkinson’s disease began to worsen. She started feeling dizzy and found it harder to move around. She also started having muscle cramps and pain.

Her husband John had always been her support, but when her needs increased, his caring role became harder. John worried he wouldn’t be able to look after her on his own, along with managing the house and his own care.

John had already arranged house cleaning and shopping support for himself and Stella through My Aged Care. Stella was also approved for some extra support but was told services might not be immediately available.

Some months later, My Aged Care got in touch with John. They asked him to start looking for a local provider that could develop a care plan to better support Stella to continue living at home. After meeting with a few local providers, John chose one they felt most comfortable with.

Working together, John, Stella, and the provider developed a care plan. This plan included support with shopping and cleaning, plus a weekly visit from a physiotherapist to help Stella manage her muscle cramps.

Stella’s cramps made it hard for her to shower and dress, so the provider arranged for a care worker to help her. Stella was also worried about her dizzy spells, so her care worker got handrails installed in the bathroom and other parts of the house.

Thanks to all these services, Stella felt much more confident with her daily routine at home. The extra support enabled John to spend some time on his self-care, which meant that he could take better care of Stella when she needed it.