Specialist Dementia Support at Home

Dementia Care at Home in Sydney

For 18 years, Young at Heart Services has been helping people across Sydney live independently at home. We bring that experience to dementia care that respects each person’s routines, choices and way of life.

When you or someone in your family is living with dementia, the questions can build quickly. Is home still working well? Is extra help needed with meals, medication or personal care? And how do you bring in support without taking away the person’s independence or say in how they live?

Young at Heart Services provides personalised dementia care at home across Sydney City, the Inner West, North Shore, Northern Beaches and Eastern Suburbs. We support people to continue living in familiar surroundings, with care built around their routines, preferences, personality and changing needs.

We are an independent, privately owned Sydney home care service. Care is personal, flexible and built around the individual. We take the time to understand the person, their family and what is actually happening at home before deciding what support should look like.

Call 0431 345 901
Send an enquiry

18 years caring for Sydney families

Police-checked, insured carers

No lock-in contracts or exit fees

Care can often start in 1 to 2 weeks

Dementia care that supports life at home

Dementia affects every person differently. For one family, the first sign that extra support is needed may be missed meals, forgotten medication or increasing isolation. For another, it may be wandering, disrupted sleep, difficulty with personal care or a family carer who can no longer manage everything alone.

There is no single point at which care suddenly becomes necessary, and there is no one-size-fits-all dementia care plan.

Having dementia does not mean losing your say in how you live. Our role is to support, not take over. Care can begin with a few scheduled visits and change over time as needs change, while respecting the person’s choices, routines and independence.

How Young at Heart can help

The focus is not on taking over tasks a person can still do for themselves. It is on providing support where it is genuinely needed so they can continue to participate in everyday life.

  • Showering, dressing, grooming and other personal care
  • Meal preparation and encouragement with eating and drinking
  • Medication reminders and support with established routines
  • Mobility and walking assistance
  • Toileting and hygiene support
  • Companionship and meaningful social interaction
  • Transport to appointments, shopping and outings
  • Light housekeeping and home organisation
  • Support to maintain familiar daily routines
  • Respite for a partner, daughter, son or other family carer
  • Overnight, live-in or more intensive care where required

Why people choose Young at Heart

Young at Heart is an independent, privately owned home care service. Care is personal, flexible and built around the individual.

  • Personalised care plans that can change as needs change
  • Carer matching based on personality, experience and cultural or religious preferences
  • Comprehensive reference checks and current police checks for carers
  • Workers Compensation, Public Liability and Professional Indemnity insurance coverage
  • Transparent fees with no administration fees
  • No exit fees
  • No long-term lock-in contracts, subject to the notice requirements in the service agreement
  • The ability to often begin care on short notice in urgent situations, with services typically starting within one to two weeks depending on availability
  • Open communication with families and a focus on independence, dignity and choice

Familiar carers and genuine compatibility

Who comes into the home matters.

Young at Heart carefully matches carers to clients based not only on experience and care needs, but also on personality, preferences and, where relevant, cultural or religious background.

That compatibility can be particularly important for someone living with dementia. A familiar face, a consistent way of doing things and a carer who understands the person’s normal routine can make care feel less disruptive.

If a match is not right, Young at Heart can arrange another carer. The aim is not simply to fill a shift. It is to create a care relationship the person receiving care and their family are comfortable with.

Support for you and your family

Dementia care rarely affects only one person.

Partners, adult children and other family members often find themselves gradually taking on more responsibility: checking in, shopping, preparing meals, attending appointments, organising medication, helping with personal care and worrying about what is happening when they are not there.

Bringing in home care does not mean a family is stepping away. It can mean sharing the responsibility with someone reliable so family members can keep being a husband, wife, daughter, son or friend, rather than carrying every part of the care alone.

Respite can be arranged for a few hours or as part of a more regular care plan, giving family carers time to work, rest, attend appointments or take a break while the person they care for is supported at home.

Keeping families informed and involved

Good care does not happen in isolation. With your agreement, we stay in regular contact with family and let them know about any changes we notice in day to day wellbeing, mobility or routine.

If we think some extra help would make life easier, or that a small change at home would help someone stay safe, we will say so. That might mean suggesting a handrail, a walker, a commode or another simple aid, or talking through whether a home modification is worth considering. Our aim is to keep communication open and to work alongside families, not around them.

Care that changes as needs change

Dementia is progressive, but care does not need to jump immediately from no support to full-time support.

Young at Heart can provide flexible private home care that changes with the person. Care may begin with companionship and a few hours of help each week, then increase if personal care, supervision, overnight assistance or more regular help becomes necessary.

Depending on the person’s needs and carer availability, support may include scheduled visits, respite, overnight care, 24-hour care or live-in care.

We can also work alongside family members and other health or care professionals already involved, rather than expecting families to replace support that is working well.

What does dementia care at home cost?

The cost of dementia home care depends on how much support is needed, when care is required and the type of assistance being provided.

Young at Heart is a private home care provider and is transparent about its fees. There are no administration fees and no exit fees.

Rather than trying to work out the right level of care from a website, tell us what is happening and what support you think may be needed. Young at Heart can then discuss the available options and associated costs.

Call 0431 345 901 to discuss your circumstances and the type of dementia care you may need.

How quickly can dementia care start?

If you need help urgently, contact Young at Heart as soon as possible.

Care can often begin on short notice in urgent situations. On average, services begin within one to two weeks, depending on carer availability and the type of support required.

If there is a wait, the team will explain this clearly so you know what to expect.

Dementia care across Sydney

Young at Heart provides in-home care across five core Sydney service regions:

  • Sydney City
  • Inner West
  • North Shore
  • Northern Beaches
  • Eastern Suburbs

What Our Clients Say

Sincere and capable help Maria and her team at Young at Heart are more special to me, and my mum, than any other agency we have received assistance from. The team’s warm and genuine care, combined with their reliability, means I look forward to their help.
Lara & her mother SharonThornleigh/Turramurra
I really appreciated that you looked after the Parents so well and in such an intelligent manner. They enjoyed your company especially My father ( you may not have felt the same way Ha-ha). I had no hesitation in trusting you and your judgement of choosing Dora to help. It has been such a pleasure to have someone who is such a good communicator and who can make intelligent suggestions instead of just being a “yes” (wo)man and with whom I could discuss the state and welfare of the Parents. I had no other person to consult. So I am the one to say a big thanks. I also hope we can keep in touch, Kind regards
Anne Marie
Last year, sadly, I lost my wife. My health started to slowly deteriorate, and as I am in my early 90’s, I realized that is becoming harder to live on my own. I started looking around aged care facilities, but the more I looked the more I wanted stay in my own home. So I decided that I will look into hiring full time live in carers.  Maria and Young at Heart was recommended to me by friends who already knew her. I contacted Maria, and she was very helpful, very accommodating. She organized a young married couple who now are living with me full time, and assisting me with the things that are not so easy for me to do anymore.  But more importantly she managed to find carers from my own background, which makes life so much easier; we can speak the same language, we like the same food and we have a lot to talk about our culture.  I am very happy with my decision to stay in my own home, and very satisfied with the services and the carers that Young at Heart organized for me.  I would gladly recommend Young at Heart to anyone who needs similar assistance, whether it is live in care, personal assistance , social support, or the occasional companionship.
With wishing to find the same good people
StephenMosman
I first was fortunate enough to meet Maria Pauka through an act of kindness when my elderly mother had a fall and Maria lived in the same apartment block!  This was now almost seven years ago.   Maria’s business was in its infancy and shortly after this incident we took on Maria’s services to become a permanent carer for my Mum so as she could maintain her independence in her own home.  When the time came for Mum to be moved to permanent care, we retained Maria’s services on a different basis as she had become such a wonderful and cheerful companion for my mother who was very fond of her. Sadly, Mum passed away, and, having never forgotten Maria’s personal quality of service and caring, I was delighted to learn that she has expanded her business to include general care for short term needs also!  My husband took ill, and, with a full time job, I was unable to take care of the household needs and Maria provided an excellent quality of helpers to assist with light household duties, including shopping, cooking, washing, general tidying and companionship.  The flexibility and quality of staff Maria has been able to arrange at short notice is nothing less than extraordinary!   We have again very recently employed the services of “Young at Heart” due to a broken ankle, where assistance was needed to undertake basic chores, and, act as my ‘legs’.  Again, Maria was called upon, and, with very short notice, fabulous, willing carers to the rescue where nothing was too much trouble. I would not hesitate to recommend Maria’s services for reliability, quality, flexibility and genuine caring and understanding of client’s needs.
JulieNorthbridge
Young at Heart provides an excellent, reliable service
We engaged the services of Young at Heart over a year ago to provide companionship and security for my husband, while giving me peace of mind while I am out. We have been completely satisfied and delighted at the care and company he receives. They very quickly established a warm and pleasant friendship and he looks forward to seeing her each week.
She is a charming, friendly person, cheerful, punctual, reliable and immaculate in her presentation. Her visits give me a break and offer him a change of pace. Working with Young at Heart ensures that should our regular helper be away we will not be left in the lurch, but will always have an experienced person in her place. I heartily recommend this service as highly professional and easy to deal with.
MGGreenwich, NSW
‘Young at Heart’ is an absolute godsend to our family. Maria is a compassionate, patient and professional Carer/companion for our 94year old Dad, who supports his wellbeing holistically – physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Living quite a distance from Sydney and with Dad not speaking much English, Maria’s support gives us peace of mind. Maria is an excellent communicator and always keeps us up to date on Dad’s health status and changing needs. Thanks to Maria, Dad continues to ‘have a life’, while still in the nursing home. Maria takes him out, runs errands, does shopping and helps with whatever comes up! Her help is so flexible and adaptable, depending on Dad’s current needs and energy levels. It’s the little things and attention to detail that make a big difference – like picking up his favourite juice on her way in to visit, or Dad’s dry-cleaned jacket, so he can maintain his dignity and pride. Maria has become one of the family and has made Dad’s end of life stage a time full of joy and love, despite his chronic and terminal ailments. I don’t know how we would manage without her!
Working for Young at Heart has been a great decision for me.
  Not only does Maria care for her Clients but she also cares about her Staff.
It is so rewarding to work as a valued and respected member of Staff, where your skills are really appreciated.
Marg
Maria, It is such a pleasure working with you and the Young at Heart team. Thank you so much for being such a great boss; teaching me, helping me and supporting me. You are an extraordinary boss and an excellent person. It has been such a pleasure to take care of Jean, Mosman, she was a great person whom I really appreciated. And her family also was so supportive all the way. I am so grateful for being able to work with Young at Heart.
MelMosman
Maria and the Young at Heart team cared for my mother for over ten years. In that time, the needs of my mother an independent and active person gradually changed to a high care situation. Through Maria’s careful and thoughtful care program, my mother enjoyed a level of care second to none. In her final time, Maria’s team excelled in my mother’s palliative care. The visiting specialist Hammondcare team were most impressed and could not fault with the care provided. I have no hesitation in recommending Maria and her team for the highest possible care.
M TMosman

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently asked questions about dementia care at home

Many people living with dementia continue to live at home with support. Whether this is appropriate depends on the person’s individual needs, safety, health, home environment and the support available around them. Home care can assist with everyday tasks, personal care, routines, companionship and supervision, and the level of support can be reviewed as needs change.

People often begin looking for help when everyday tasks are becoming harder, routines are being missed, personal care is becoming difficult, there are concerns about safety, or family members are struggling to provide the level of support required. You do not need to wait for a crisis before asking what help is available.

A dementia carer can assist with personal care, meals, medication reminders, mobility, routines, companionship, outings, household tasks and other everyday support. The exact role should be based on the individual’s abilities, preferences and care needs.

Yes. Care can begin with scheduled visits or a small number of hours and increase if needs change. Young at Heart’s private care model is designed to be flexible rather than requiring every family to use the same level of support.

Young at Heart provides more intensive in-home support including overnight, live-in and 24-hour care, subject to the person’s needs and carer availability. Contact the team to discuss what type of arrangement would be appropriate.

Young at Heart matches carers based on experience, personality and the client’s preferences, including cultural or religious preferences where relevant. Carers undergo reference checks and current police checks and are covered by the required insurances.

Tell the team. Young at Heart’s focus is on compatibility as well as capability, and another carer can be arranged if the match does not feel right.

Yes. Respite can provide temporary support so a family carer can rest, work, attend appointments or take time away while the person they care for is supported at home.

Young at Heart does not use long-term lock-in contracts and does not charge exit fees. Depending on the type and duration of the service, a notice period may apply as outlined in the service agreement.

Explore our other in-home care services

Help at Home  ·  Personal Care  ·  Post Hospital & Short-Term Care  ·  Palliative Care  ·  End of Life Care

Get in Touch Today

You do not have to work this out alone

If you are looking for support for yourself or someone in your family, you do not need to arrive with a care plan or know exactly how many hours of help are needed.

Call 0431 345 901
Send an enquiry
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