When Joan* turned 99, her daughter and son-in-law had to finally come to terms with the fact that caring for their beloved mum was becoming difficult.

Despite the fact they were getting on in age themselves, they didn’t want to send Joan into an aged care facility, but they couldn’t do it all themselves either.

“I had the loveliest time when I first met (Joan),” said Di Geddes, director of Exceptional Care For You, an organisation that provides in home care for older Australians.

“She herself had been a nurse and told great stories of growing up in Coburg and working at The Royal Melbourne Hospital.

“She spoke of the TB epidemic in Melbourne and how she contracted it from a patient and had to leave nursing because of it.

“I spoke with her for over and hour and I was hanging on every word.”

With home care, Joan was able to enjoy her hundredth birthday in her own home, where she received letters from the Prime Minister and King Charles.

“She is almost 101 and still living with her daughter and son-in-law,” said Geddes.

“To ensure this can happen she has a government funded aged care package which allows us to provide care.

“We have found her a group of carers she loves and looks forward to seeing. We help with personal carers, gentle exercises and respite.”

Occasionally, carers will stay overnight to enable Joan’s family to go away for a night, have a date night or just some respite.

“Her daughter has often said the care we provide has changed the whole family's life, in a way that they could never have imagined.”

High quality, in-home care has enabled Joan to remain at home, living with her much-loved family, enabling her family to spend quality time with her, while still living their own lives too.

“Everyone is happy. This is aged care in the community at its best,” Geddes said.

Geddes said in-home aged care was a fast-growing sector for several reasons.

“Our aged population is larger than ever before, paired with societal changes.

“The role of the carer has traditionally been filled by women in the family, however many women in this age group are now an integral part of our workforce and/or assisting family by providing care for grandchildren -- therefore leaving them with minimal time to care for their parents.

“This leaves a large gap in the care of older Australians who wish to stay at home, but need assistance to successfully and safely do so.”

Geddes started her in-home aged care business after providing care for her own elderly parents, which allowed her to see first-hand, the need for reliable, safe, high quality and ethical care for older people in the community.

“Whilst I was providing this care for my parents, I was working as a Registered Nurse in an aged care facility.

“Pairing my professional and personal experiences gave me great insight into the strong heartfelt need for aged Australians to stay in their home and receive exceptional care.”

Geddes said the difference high quality, reliable care made to people’s lives was not limited to the individual receiving the care, but had a ripple effect on the whole family.

“This ultimately leads to better quality time for the participant and the family, which is never more precious than when you the days ahead of you are less than those already lived,” she said.