As Support at Home pushes more co-contributions onto cleaning and domestic help, a quiet shift is brewing – affluent retirees are starting to step out of the Government-funded lane entirely. 

Melbourne’s Acquaint Home Care, led by Fiona Somerville, is showing what that future looks like: clients averaging 50 hours a week, paying $88 an hour, and carers lining up by the thousands. With continuity, clarity and concierge-style service, the model is proving that premium private care can compete on both price and experience. 

So what happens when wealthier clients – and their carers – leave the system behind? Find out in the latest issue of SATURDAY, our premium digital magazine, out now. You require a subscription. Click here.