In the small Wheatbelt town of Pingelly, Western Australia, an innovative aged care model is quietly transforming lives – and it’s being led not by bureaucrats or large operators, but by the community itself.

At the heart of this success is Staying in Place, a person-centred, flexible home care model championed by the Pingelly Somerset Alliance Inc (PSA), a volunteer-run, Not-for-Profit aged and community housing provider. The model is enabling older Australians to remain in their homes and communities for longer – even allowing some to leave aged care facilities and return home.

Originally launched with Federal seed funding from the Department of Social Services to reduce loneliness and improve connectedness, Staying in Place began in Pingelly, 158 km southeast of Perth, in 2022 with just 15 clients.

Today, it supports 90 clients – and counting.