Conditions of Service

Welcome to Gratitude Home Care.

It is a condition of receiving our service(s) that you read the following and sign off that you agree to the listed conditions:

General Guidelines

• All pets must be restrained for the duration of the visit to allow staff to enter and leave your property safely.

• We cannot always guarantee continuity of support staff and service times when your regular worker is on leave or when changes are required due to service demand. We will do our best to notify you of any change, but this may not always be possible.

• The minimum service schedule is 4 hours for a support worker to attend scheduled services.

• Please do not smoke while support staff are in your home.

• During extremely hot days, please turn on air conditioners to enable Support Workers to undertake tasks comfortably. If you do not have an air conditioner, staff may not be able to complete all tasks identified in your Service Plan.

• If you require a change to your regular support services, contact the Gratitude Home Care Team on 1300 912 155 with at least 24 hours’ notice. Late cancellations may incur charges, unless exceptional circumstances apply.

Presence and Safety

• You or your representative must be present while Support Staff are working in your home.

• If you cancel a service when or after the Support Worker arrives, it will be recorded as an “unproductive visit.” If the Support Worker cannot perform tasks due to an identified occupational health and safety risk, they will contact the office for advice. Scheduled shift charges will apply to all “unproductive visits” unless exceptional circumstances apply.

• All domestic assistance and respite care will be cancelled on public holidays.

Approved Tasks

• Please do not request tasks that have not been previously approved as part of your Service Plan.

Support Staff are not permitted to:

• Use caustic cleaning products (e.g., bleach, chlorine, ammonia-based products)

• Use faulty equipment

• Climb on ladders or furniture

• Overextend their reach

• Wash/hang curtains

• Work in your home without you or a representative present

• Wash walls or ceilings

• Wash exterior windows

• Move heavy furniture

• Remove large rubbish items

Scope of Service

• Under the government’s direction of ‘doing with’ not ‘doing for’, Gratitude In-Home Care provides assistance with essential areas of your home:

  • Bathroom, kitchen, bedroom, and living areas

  • Laundry, changing sheets, emptying bins

Excluded tasks include:

• Cleaning areas or tasks associated with other family members or residents

• Heavy tasks such as:

  • Cleaning blinds

  • Washing windows

  • Scrubbing floors

  • Cleaning swimming pools

  • Moving furniture

Feedback and Communication

• The Gratitude Home Care Team encourages and welcomes all feedback.

• Concerns or dissatisfaction with support services should be raised with Office Staff on 1300 912 155, not with support staff regarding other Council staff.

• For lawn mowing or home modification services, clients are asked to sign off at the end of service to confirm satisfaction.

• Office staff may not always be available due to high call volumes. Please leave a message; staff aim to return calls the same day if you are available.

Respect and Service Limitations

• Support Workers have a right to feel safe at work and should be treated with respect by clients and others present in the home.

• Gratitude Home Care has limited funding from State and Commonwealth governments to heavily subsidise services. Service levels are assessed based on need and available resources. You are not always guaranteed the same level of service, especially during high demand.