The Story
About CarePlan.au & My Story
I’m Colin Dixon, a Mallacoota local, semi-retired IT specialist, and the primary carer for my aging mother.
I started careplan.au in November 2022 after wrestling with the high fees, opaque billing, and limited options of aged care in remote Victoria. Traditional full-service providers were eating up Mum's funding with massive overheads—charging up to $100+ an hour while severely underpaying the actual workers doing the heavy lifting.
I decided to take charge and self-manage Mum’s plan. Along the way, I’ve learned by doing: figuring out the forms, the compliance, the tech, and how to mathematically get the absolute best care for the budget. This site documents exactly what I’ve found, and the tools I’ve built, completely free for anyone in Mallacoota or beyond to use.
My Mission
- Stretch Your Funds: Help clients get significantly more care hours by skipping the "Big Provider" middleman and avoiding hidden administration fees.
- Pay Workers Well: Ensure local caregivers earn exactly what they are worth by establishing a fair, flat local standard of $66 per hour—with no platform commissions taken out of their pay.
- Provide the Tech: Equip independent workers with free, easy-to-use tools (like our Vigilance Tracker) to automate their GPS check-ins, progress notes, and Trilogy Care invoicing.
My Recommendations for Self-Managing
Your choice depends on your situation and your comfort with technology. Based on my experience running Mum’s plan, here is what I suggest:
Option 1: Trilogy Care – Standard Self-Managed Plan (10% Fee) This is the lowest-cost option. You manage your own care plan directly through Trilogy Care.
- How it works: You find and book your own independent workers, manage their invoices, and use online portals/emails for approvals.
- Best for: Tech-savvy clients or families who are confident managing the administration themselves.
- The Cost: 15% of your government funding package is used for Trilogy's administration and compliance fees.
- Contact: Call Trilogy at 1300 459 190.
Option 2: Trilogy Care + Mallacoota Cares (10% Fee)This option is still officially run through Trilogy Care, but you get extra local, boots-on-the-ground support from the independent Mallacoota Cares team.
- How it works: They help you match with local workers, assist with your invoicing, and provide ongoing guidance.
- Best for: People who prefer face-to-face local help or aren’t confident using computers and online portals.
- The Cost: 10% of your package goes toward admin (Trilogy collects this, but a portion is paid directly to Mallacoota Cares to support their local service). You still don't pay out of pocket.
My Role & How I Can Help
Because I am my mum’s primary carer, government rules don’t allow me to invoice Trilogy for doing things like mowing her lawn, I have to pay a third-party independent worker to do that.
However, I am an independent support worker and tech consultant for other clients in the community. I work directly with self-managed clients and invoice Trilogy Care, and My Home Care directly, which provides the best value and zero middleman fees for you.
If you need tech support, help setting up your CarePlan tracker, or just general advice on navigating the system, my rate for specific billed tasks is $66 per hour.
But if you just need some guidance or want to bounce an idea around? I’m always happy to chat and provide advice for free. Feel free to call me directly at 0419 415 000 or email col@oze.au.