Home care or residential care - what's the difference
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When someone begins needing extra support at home, families often face a big question: should we bring care into the home, or consider moving into a residential aged care facility?
Both options can provide valuable support, but they offer very different experiences. Understanding the key differences can help you decide what’s best for your situation.
What is Home Care?
Home care allows a person to remain in their own home while receiving support with daily activities, clinical needs, or mobility. Services are flexible and tailored, and can include personal care, nursing, allied health, domestic assistance, transport, and companionship.
With Kinder Caring, home care is delivered by qualified staff and overseen by experienced nurses. Our clients receive the right care, at the right time, in the comfort of their own home.
What is Residential Aged Care?
Residential aged care involves moving into a facility that provides accommodation, meals, care, and 24/7 supervision. This option suits people who need round-the-clock support or are unable to live safely at home.
Facilities are managed by teams of nurses and care staff, and residents follow a shared daily routine. While clinical care is available onsite, there is often less individual flexibility or one-on-one attention compared to in-home services.
Key Differences to Consider
· Location and Environment: Home care keeps people in familiar surroundings, close to neighbours, pets, and community. Residential care involves a full relocation into a shared environment, which can be a big emotional adjustment.
· Flexibility and Choice: In-home care is tailored around personal routines, preferences, and goals. Residential care is structured, with set schedules and group routines.
· Clinical Oversight: Both models offer clinical support. In home care, nursing visits are coordinated based on need. In residential care, nurses are onsite at all times, which may suit people with complex or unstable conditions.
· Connection to Family and Community: With home care, family and friends can visit freely and remain involved in day-to-day life. Residential care may have set visiting hours and more formal interactions.
· Cost and Funding: Home care can be funded through Home Care Packages (soon to transition to the Support at Home program), NDIS, iCare, or self-funded. Residential aged care costs are means-tested and may include daily fees, accommodation charges, and additional service costs to service shared administrative costs across the facility.
Which option is right for you?
There is no single answer. Home care is often preferred by people who value their independence and wish to remain in control of their daily life. It’s also ideal for families who want to stay closely involved and avoid premature transitions into residential care.
Residential aged care may be more appropriate for people who require full-time supervision, advanced dementia care, or have limited support network available at home.
The Kinder Caring Difference
At Kinder Caring, we specialise in flexible, personalised home care that supports people to live safely, comfortably, and independently. Our nurse-led care model, combined with experienced care workers and allied health professionals, means we can support everything from simple daily tasks to complex clinical care at home.
We also help families explore their options with care, transparency, and respect.
Because we believe there’s no place like home.
Let’s Explore Your Options
If you're unsure about which care path is right, our team can help. Book a free in-home consultation and speak with an experienced Clinical Care Manager about what support is available and how to make the best decision for your family.