How We Work

From your first phone call to your tenth visit, here's what life with us looks like.

You've done the harder bits. You've probably had your aged care assessment, you have a sense of what kind of help would make life easier, and now you're working out which provider to go with.

Or maybe you're already with another provider and quietly wondering whether the grass might be greener somewhere else.

Your first call with us

When you ring, a member of our Customer Contact Team will pick up the phone. From there, we'll ask a few simple questions to get our bearings:

Where you're up to in your aged care journey, whether you're still considering, mid-assessment, freshly approved, or already with another provider
What kinds of help would make daily life feel a bit easier
Where you live, so we can check what we offer in your area
Whether anything is feeling urgent

In return, we'll explain what services we can bring to your area, what your funding can cover, and what the typical first month with us looks like. If you'd like to take the next step, we'll book in a time to meet your Care Partner.

Meeting your Care Partner

Once you decide to come on board, we'll match you with a Suncare Care Partner. They're the person who gets to know you, your home, and your wishes, and they'll be your main point of contact from that day forward.

Your first proper meeting usually takes 60 to 90 minutes, and you can have it:

At home, if you'd like us to see how you actually live (we recommend this)
At one of our Community Hubs in Bundaberg, Sunshine Coast, North Lakes, Gympie, Hervey Bay, or Rockhampton
Over the phone or video call, if that's easier.

Family members and friends are always welcome. We'd actively encourage you to invite anyone helping you with this decision. If you have your funding letter from My Aged Care, bring it along.

We'll walk through it together so you understand exactly what your funding can cover, and any contribution you may need to make.

By the end of the meeting, we'll have a draft plan and clear next steps to support you.

Building your care plan, together

A care plan is a written agreement that captures what kind of help you'd like and when you need it. It's built around your life, not the other way around.
Together, we'll work out:

The mix of services that suits you, from personal care, nursing, and allied health to transport, cleaning, gardening, meals, social outings, or respite
The days and frequency of visits
Anything specific that matters to you, whether that’s a quiet morning, your preferred daily routine, or how you like your tea
How your funding will be spread across the next three months

Your plan isn't set in stone. We'll review it formally at least once a year, and you can ask for changes any time something isn't quite working.

The support workers you'll get to know

The people who turn up at your front door are local and chosen carefully. Every Suncare support worker has the relevant training, has passed a National Police Check, and has been through our induction before they meet you.

Where we can, we match you with a small team of regular workers, so you get familiar faces rather than a different person each visit. We take into account your interests, your language preferences, and the kind of relationship you'd like. Some people want a chat, others would rather get on with it. Both are fine.

If your regular attending workers are unavailable, we will send an alternative worker to fill in who has access to your Care plan and routine so they can hit the ground running.

How your funding gets put to work

If you're on the Support at Home program, your funding works on a quarterly cycle. Every three months, a fresh budget lands, calculated from your annual classification. Out of that:

Around 90% goes towards the services you receive
Around 10% goes to care management, which is the work your Care Partner does behind the scenes (planning, coordinating, problem-solving, and adjusting your plan as your life changes)
We’ll work with you to make the most of your allocated funding, as there are now caps set by the Department on how much unspent funding can be carried over.

We monitor how your funding is being used and share regular updates, with a focus on helping you get the most out of your supports. If there’s an opportunity to make better use of your funding, we’ll work with you to adjust your plan. If your funding is being used more quickly, we’ll talk through options and explore any additional funding supports that may be available.

If you're on the Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP), the structure is simpler. You pay a small contribution per service, and the rest is covered. No quarterly tracking required.

If you're paying privately through Fee for Service, you pay per visit at our published rates.

Staying in touch

Our friendly Customer Contact Team is available to take your call, just phone 1800 786 227 and we’ll connect you with the right person to support your enquiry.

For contact outside business hours, our after-hours team is on call to respond to any priority requests that come through. If you’d like family members or close friends to contact us on your behalf, just let us know.

With your consent, we can liaise with them when something needs attention; your privacy always remains in your hands.

Statements, contributions, and how billing works

Every month, you'll receive a clear statement showing:

Services delivered, including when and what
Funding used and remaining
Any contribution you've been assessed to pay
Any out-of-pocket charges, for example, if you've added private hours on top of your funding

If you have a contribution to make under the Support at Home program, the amount is determined by Services Australia based on your income and assets, not by us. We collect it on their behalf, and the figure is shown plainly on your statement.

Cancellations

We ask for at least 48 hours' notice if you need to cancel or reschedule a visit. Need to make a change? We understand that plans can shift. To avoid a cancellation fee, we ask you to please provide at least 2 business days' notice. Some cancellations made with less than 2 business days' notice will be charged at the full service rate.

When life changes, your support changes too

After a fall, a hospital stay, a new diagnosis, or simply the months catching up with you, the support that worked last year may not be the right shape this year.
Here's how we handle it:

Small adjustments (different times, more hours, swapping one service for another) can be made at any time. Give us a call and your Care Partner is only a call away.
Larger changes, such as moving to a different funding classification, need a reassessment through My Aged Care. We'll help you request one, sit in on the conversation if you'd like, and update your plan as soon as the new outcome arrives.
Significant life events, such as returning home from hospital, end of life, or a sudden carer absence, trigger a faster response from us. Support at Home includes short-term pathways for restorative care, equipment and home modifications, and end-of-life support.

If something feels off, you don't need to wait for a formal review. A quick call to your Care Partner is enough.

Switching is simple

Already with another provider?

You can change providers any time, for any reason, with no exit fees from us and no impact on your funding. Your Support at Home funding belongs to you, not to your current provider. Most switches happen smoothly within two to four weeks. We'll keep you informed at every stage.

If you'd like to move your services to Suncare, here's what we do:

We have a chat

to understand what's working, what's not, and what you'd like more of

With your permission

we contact your current provider to coordinate the handover

We agree on a switch date

plan the first few visits, and make sure nothing falls through the cracks

Your services start with us

on the agreed date, and your unspent funding moves across with you soon after

Let's chat

Frequently asked questions

How quickly can services start once I sign up?

For most people, services start within one to three weeks of signing up, depending on availability in your area. If your situation is urgent, we'll do everything we can to start sooner.

Can family members attend my visits?

Yes, always. Your home is your home, and we work around what feels right for you.

What if I need to cancel a visit at short notice?

We understand plans can change. To avoid a cancellation fee, please provide at least 2 business days’ notice. Some cancellations made within 2 business days may incur the full service charge.

Do you offer 24-hour or overnight support?

We offer 24-hour in-home respite as a service. For ongoing daily support, our standard hours are 6 am to 8 pm, with non-standard hours available for personal care, nursing, and respite. If you have complex overnight needs, we'll talk through what's possible during your first meeting with your Care Partner.

Can I have services at two different addresses, for example when I stay with family?

Yes, we can usually arrange this if both addresses fall within our service areas. Talk to your Care Partner and we'll work it out.

What areas do you cover?

We deliver in-home aged care across South East and Central Queensland through Community Hubs on the Sunshine Coast (Maroochydore), Gympie, Moreton Bay, Hervey Bay, Bundaberg and Rockhampton. If you're nearby and not sure if we cover you, give us a call.