Locals Assisting
Locals
Receive In-Home Care & Support Services.
Your Home.
Your Care.
Your Community
ABOUT US
Your Home Care Journey Starts Here.
To assist senior Australians with living independently in their own homes, the Australian Government has created the Home Care Packages (HCP) Program.
Somerset Assist is a not-for-profit incorporated community organisation that provides Community Home Care, within the Somerset Region. Commencing initially in Esk and Toogoolawah and surrounding districts, we intend to expand further into other parts of the region progressively, so stay in touch.
Somerset Assist aims to employ local people and use local businesses to provide the support for our consumers whether they are living in town or on one of the many surrounding rural properties. Essentially this means we aim to use local supports to provide a local response to the local needs. Your Home, Your Way, Your Choice. Provided for Our Community, By our Community.
Somerset Assist as the support provider has partnered with Trilogy Care, as the Home Care Package Provider. Somerset Assist is championed by a management committee, passionate about helping our older residents access the services they deserve and who have the knowledge and experience to help them navigate the complex aged care system.
Our Services
HCP Onboarding
We will assist you in every step in applying for a Home Care Package, from preparing for your ACAT assessment to onboarding with Trilogy Care as the HCP provider.
Find Support Workers
We will assist you in finding care workers and support workers that help you live safe, independent and connected to the community.
HCP Management
Have your support team managed by us, as well as any incidents or requests. Stay in control and remain independent while receiving support services.
Why Somerset Assist?
Remain healthy, independent, and connected
We have heard many stories about seniors not accessing services that they need to help them live their best lives. This could be through a lack of knowledge, not knowing where to start, an inability to navigate a complex system or a fear of asking for help, in case they will end up in residential care. Somerset Assist is here to help. We can help navigate the maze, to help achieve the best outcome and keep you safe in your home for longer.
– Somerset Assist
Providing Rural Community Care
Affordable in-home care is hard to come by in our region. There is a limited number of providers and care services based in our region and so there can be significant costs for travel to service our community.
These high charges result in less visits from care workers, and inadequate support to properly care the seniors in the Somerset region. In many cases, our seniors have lived their entire lives on their property and want to remain living the way they know how.
Our Committee
Making A Difference
Lyn Buchanan - President
We bought a property in Esk in 2008 and immediately fell in love with the place, so permanently relocated from Brisbane in 2012. Since that time, I have been active in the community both as a volunteer and through work. As president of Brisbane Valley Meals on Wheels for five years, I met many of our seniors from Esk and Toogoolawah and through this experience and my work as a community development coordinator, understand the needs of our aging community. Currently, I am co-chair of the Community and Rural Committee of the West Moreton Older Person’s Collaborative and a member of the Ipswich and District Seniors Network and of the Moreton Bay Elder Abuse Prevention Network. I have university training in social work and have held management positions for over twenty years, before moving to Esk. I have also had personal experience navigating the Aged Care System, through assisting my mother and in-laws before their passing and so understand first-hand the challenges and emotions faced when undertaking the process.
Julie Hayes - Vice President & Care Coordinator
My husband and I have lived in Esk for the past 8-9 years and have loved every minute of it. We have made some good friendships and met some wonderful people. My career background is in the Management of Disability Services (Accomodation Service and Day Services) and Aged Care Services. My passion has always been to allow the people we support to have control of what they want to do, and when and how they do it. For the last few years, I have worked in indigenous communities in north-western South Australia and thoroughly enjoyed learning more about indigenous culture and languages. I felt honoured to have the opportunity to support the Elders in their homes. I now look forward to being able to support the elderly community in Esk and Toogoolawah to access My Aged Care funding and to have the staff from within our own community supporting our seniors.
Ruth O'Dowd - Treasurer
My family and I moved to the Somerset Region in 2016 from the Brisbane/Ipswich Region. As a new resident of the Somerset area, I was keen to learn more about the area, so in 2017 I volunteered for the Somerset Regional Council Visitor Information Centres in both Fernvale and Esk. Whilst volunteering, I also took on a private Support Worker Role, providing support for a dementia patient and her family, which I found rewarding. In 2018, I backfilled, as the Youth Engagement Officer for the Somerset Regional Council for one year. This involved supporting young people to participate in social, recreational, and cultural activities and to promote their contribution to the community. Since then I have also held a short term role as relief Community Development Coordinator and a project officer role, which included working on a scoping study for Kilcoy. I have extensive experience operating small businesses. I have an event management business named RUSCO Event Management that I have run for 15 years. I was the previous owner of Kindred Spirits Fernvale, which was heavily focused on community, providing a gift shop along with allied health, visiting services, holistic and spiritual health. At present, I am the owner of Rudi's Place in Esk. We provide fashion, homewares and gifts to our residents and travellers passing through. I am very enthusiastic about our community and doing whatever I can to help provide services to all people of all ages including young people and older persons. I believe Somerset Assist will help both by supporting our seniors to stay in their homes, while offering young people interested in a caring profession, an opportunity to earn and learn in their local community.
Brenda Moloney - Secretary
My husband and I first arrived in the Brisbane Valley in 1976 and liked it so much we bought more country and began cattle breeding. From 1992 I also worked for West Moreton Health until 2013, mostly at the Esk Hospital, first as clinical nurse then as the Director of Esk Health Services. Though retired from formal work, I am still actively involved in our local communities as consumer representative on Darling Downs and West Moreton Primary Health Network Committee and on the West Moreton Health Consumer and Community Advisory Council. I also serve as a volunteer for St Vincent De Paul (Vinnies) charity assisting local people with emergency relief.
Our Partners
Working Together
QUESTIONS?
Whether you’re curious about support services, the Home Care Package program, or other home care queries, we’re here to answer.