Seasonal care planning: Adapting support through the year

Key takeaways

• Seasonal factors like cold weather, public holidays, and changing family routines can shift support needs throughout the year.
• Planning 2 to 3 months early for busy periods (like Easter and Christmas) helps maintain continuous support.
• Support at Home quarterly budgets allow you to carry over up to $1,000 or 10% of your quarterly budget.
• Building a team of independent support workers ensures coverage during worker leave or unexpected absences.

Support needs may change throughout the year for many reasons. School and public holidays can affect the availability of family members and support workers. Seasonal changes, including colder weather and winter illnesses, may also affect how much support the person you care for needs and whether their usual support workers are available.

Seasonal care planning may make these changes easier to manage. Thinking ahead may help you reduce any disruptions to care and maintain a consistent aged care support schedule.

This guide explains why support needs shift seasonally and how aged care planning across the year, including care planning for holidays, may help you prepare before demand increases.

Why support needs shift throughout the year

Several seasonal factors may affect an older person’s support needs and the availability of the people who support them. These may include:

• Weather: Winter may increase the risk of illness, while very hot weather may bring heat-related health concerns. Extreme temperatures can also affect mobility and routine, which may mean some older people are less active.
• Changing family routines: School holidays and public holiday long weekends may affect family availability. At these times, primary caregivers may be travelling or caring for school-aged children.
• Planned time away: Independent support worker seasonal availability may shift during holiday periods, such as Easter or the December festive season.
• Social connection: During the holiday period, some older people may have more visitors and a busier routine. Others may feel more isolated, with fewer opportunities to connect. In either case, they may need extra support.

A season-by-season aged care planning guide

The following tips may help you plan an aged care support schedule for each season:

Summer (December to February)

Confirm holiday arrangements early

Aged care holiday planning may include speaking to support workers early about leave during Christmas and over summer. This can help ensure you have the right care coverage in place.

Plan for hot weather

During hot weather, extra support sessions may be helpful for an older person living alone, particularly if you coordinate their support from a distance.

Prepare for family visits

Visiting family members may provide some support during the holiday period, but it’s worth planning for what happens after they leave.

Consider companionship support

Social support may be especially meaningful for an older person who lives alone or has fewer social activities during the holiday period.

Autumn (March to May)

Plan ahead for Easter

March is usually a busy month for job postings on Mable as families prepare for Easter. Confirming support in February may give you more time to find a suitable independent support worker before demand increases.

Review support

After the holiday period, consider whether the support arrangement is working well or needs adjusting before winter.

Winter (June to August)

Review hours

Cold weather may increase health needs and reduce mobility. Consider whether current support hours remain suitable or whether additional support may be helpful.

Plan for continuity

Consistent support may be particularly important when someone is unwell or spending more time at home. Consider confirming your regular support workers’ availability and making a plan for unexpected absences.

Support social connection

Winter is a useful time to review transport and social support arrangements so the person you care for can remain connected to their community.

Spring (September to November)

Get in early for Christmas

Job postings on Mable generally increase in November as people plan for the end of the year. If extra or different support may be needed over summer, consider searching for support workers and confirming arrangements in October.

Review the overall arrangement

Spring is a useful time for a broader aged care planning review. Consider whether the support arrangement still reflects your loved one’s routines, preferences and changing needs.

Tips for managing support worker availability over the holidays

Planning early may help reduce disruptions when regular support workers take leave. It also gives you more time to make alternative arrangements.

As a part of seasonal care planning, you may find it helpful to:

• Post support jobs on the Mable platform around 3 months before busy periods.
• Discuss planned leave early with each support worker.
• Consider building a support team to help you cover holidays or unexpected absences.
• Arrange extra check-ins around public holidays or extreme weather, especially if you coordinate support from a distance.

Making the most of your funding through the year

If the person you care for has aged care funding, you may want to review how it’s being used each season. Support at Home budgets are allocated quarterly, and you can carry over up to $1,000 or 10% of your quarterly budget, whichever is greater, into the next quarter.

Reviewing spending each quarter or mid-year may reduce the risk of unused funding or rushed decisions later. If support needs are likely to increase later in the year, early planning may help ensure the budget reflects those needs.

Mable can help you plan ahead

Seasonal planning means preparing for likely changes in care. With early planning, you may reduce the stress of arranging support during the busiest times of the year. The Mable platform makes it easier to plan ahead, with a large network of verified independent support workers and tools to manage an aged care support schedule from anywhere.

Review your current support arrangements in the Mable app now, post a job for upcoming support needs, or browse new support workers to build a support team for consistent care coverage.