Key takeaways
- Move at your own pace: Setting up your account and building your support team is a step-by-step process with no need to rush.
- Build a transparent profile: Completing your profile details helps independent support workers understand your preferences and daily routines.
- You hold choice and control: You choose whether to search profiles directly or post a job ad, and you can interview multiple workers to find the right fit.
- Direct agreements: Before a session begins, you and your chosen worker will safely lock in hours, tasks, and rates via a direct service agreement.
- Mable is here to guide you: If finding the right match takes longer than expected, our friendly team is available to help refine your search.
Signing up for aged care support through Mable can feel like a big step. It’s natural to feel a little unsure about what happens next.
The good news is that many of those new to Mable find it’s more straightforward than expected. This guide goes through what your first few weeks of signing up for aged care support may look like, so you know what to expect.
What should you expect in your first week on Mable?
Getting started with home care support usually begins with small steps. It’s important to move through the process at a pace that’s right for you.
In your first few days with Mable, you may like to spend some time completing your profile. This gives support workers a better understanding of the types of support you want, when you’d like it, and anything important about your routines or preferences.
If you’re not sure about what you might need, you can learn more about the support services available through Mable on our website.
Once your profile is complete, you can explore the website to get a feel for Mable and how it works.
On the platform, you can do things like:
- Search support workers by location and service offered
- Read support worker reviews and learn about their qualifications
- Message support workers directly
- Manage your support session bookings and payments
- Review your support hours and notes, once your support has started.
How do you find and connect with independent support workers?
Once your profile is set up, you can start looking for a support worker in Australia on Mable. There are two ways to search:
- You can use the search function to find a support worker
- Or you can create a job post.
Creating a job post helps support workers understand exactly what support you need, when you need it, and what matters most to you.
As you browse profiles, you can message workers directly by starting a chat on the platform. From there, you may decide to arrange a meet and greet. It’s a chance to get to know the support worker before making a decision.
If the choice of support workers feels like too many options, it may help to focus on a few priorities. Perhaps that’s availability, experience, shared interests, language or the type of support you need most often.
It can take time to find the right match, and that’s okay. It’s perfectly fine to interview more than one worker.
How do you book your first support session?
Once you’ve found someone you’d like to work with, the next step is agreeing on the support details with a service agreement. This agreement usually covers:
- The type of support
- Where and when support will happen
- The payment rates
On Mable, your support worker will send you a service agreement through the platform. You’ll be asked to review and accept it before support begins.
If anything changes in the days before your first support session, you can let your support worker know via the Mable platform. Remember: cancelling within 48 hours of a booked support session may mean the support worker charges the full booking amount.
Your first support session is a learning opportunity for you and your support worker. It can help you and your support worker better understand whether the arrangement suits your needs. It’s also about getting comfortable and seeing how the support feels.
Once that first session is over, your support worker will submit their hours on the Mable platform for approval. You’ll have 24 hours to review them before they’re automatically approved (unless you have switched automatic approval off). Invoices are sent weekly, with payment based on how you would like to pay.
Adjusting to your new support routine
After your first few sessions, it can help to take a little time to think about how you feel. Is the support meeting your needs? Do you feel comfortable? Are the booking times and routines working for you?
If something doesn’t feel quite right, you may wish to talk to your support worker about adjusting the arrangement. There are also a number of other ways to give feedback.
One of the main benefits of self-managed aged care is having choice and control over who provides your support and how that support is arranged.
What should you do if things do not go to plan?
Finding the right support worker takes time. It may not happen straight away and that’s okay.
However, if some time has passed and you haven't found the right match, it may be worth updating your profile, adjusting your job post, or broadening your search. If you prefer to speak to someone for help, you can contact the Mable team for more guidance.
Moving forward confidently with Mable
Getting started with Mable is a step-by-step process. It can take time, but there’s no need to rush. What matters most is getting the right support for you.
If you’re ready to take that next step, whether it’s logging back in and completing your profile or starting to explore support workers in your area, you’ll be closer to support that fits into your daily life.
Feel free to reach out to the Mable team if you have further questions. We’d love to help make your aged care support journey smoother and easier.