Welcome to Five Good Friends—where you're among friends. This guide covers everything you need to know about your Full Service Membership, from your first days to ongoing care and support.
Your First 4 Weeks: Getting Started
Your onboarding journey with Five Good Friends spans 2–4 weeks, during which our welcome team guides you through every step. This period includes:
Setting up services based on your approved funding and aged care assessed needs
Arranging necessary referrals for assessments and screenings with our clinical team
Matching you with Helpers who suit your needs and personality
Answering your questions about membership, technology, services, and Helpers
Confirming your visit schedule
Fine-tuning your budget and help plan
Once onboarding is complete, you'll be introduced to your dedicated care team.
Your Dedicated Care Team
Your ongoing care team brings together diverse expertise to support your health and wellbeing. Each member plays a vital role:
Care Coordinator — Manages your day-to-day services and budget
Helper Coordinator — Coordinates your primary Helpers' visits
Care Specialist — Oversees your overall wellbeing and supports complex clinical needs
Registered Nurses — Provide clinical support when needed
With one phone call to customer service and rostering teams, you can connect to support for everyday needs and adapt to unexpected schedule changes.
Your Helpers: Choice and Connection
We believe genuine connections matter. You can choose from our carefully selected Helpers, or bring in your own Helper—someone you already know and trust—and we'll handle their onboarding.
Our Helpers are matched to your interests, needs, and personality, supported with learning opportunities to upskill as your needs change, and thoroughly screened and verified. You'll always know who's coming, what services they'll deliver, and when. If your regular Helper is away, we'll find a suitable replacement from our trusted network.
Need to adjust your visit schedule? Chat directly with your Helpers in-person or through the app, or contact our customer service team.
Associated Providers Network
Five Good Friends has created an extensive marketplace of over 2,000 approved associated providers offering clinical and non-clinical services. When your help plan includes specialist support—such as physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech pathologists, or products and equipment—we engage providers from our trusted network and coordinate services on your behalf.
Benefits of using an approved provider:
Faster service delivery
Potential member discounts to maximise your funding
All providers thoroughly verified and screened for quality
If you prefer to work with a provider not yet in our marketplace, our dedicated team will assist them in joining the platform and becoming approved.
Your Help Plan and Budget
Your help plan is a living document that grows and changes with you. We review your plan at least once a year, or anytime your needs shift. We also review sooner when your health or abilities change, your goals or priorities shift, you need different support types, or your living situation changes.
Based on your aged care assessment, you have access to an approved list of services under your core funding. Your care coordinator helps identify the right mix of services that fit your funding and meet your assessed needs. As needs change, services can too—we proactively monitor your health and wellbeing and guide you through budget implications.
Your budget covers services outlined in your help plan and is made up of government funding, supplements, and any contributions you're required to pay. The government only pays for services on the approved list. For services outside this list, we can help connect you, though these must be paid for directly.
Programs for Living Well
As a member, you have access to evidence-based, 12-week programs designed to help you stay independent, strong, and confident at home. Led by our clinical team and supported by Helper services, these programs can be accessed anytime they align with your help plan and budget. Your care coordinator can help you find the right program.
Financial Information
Statements
We issue monthly statements showing what has been spent on services, your contributions, and your remaining budget. Statements are issued no later than the last day of the following month. For example, services delivered in August appear on your statement by 30 September.
Your statement includes:
Services delivered during the month
Amounts charged for each service
Your supplements
Government contributions
Your remaining budget balance
Invoicing
When Helpers complete a visit, they check in and out to generate an invoice. Invoices are processed weekly, giving you clear visibility of transactions week-on-week. They show the cost of services provided plus a care management fee charged in 15-minute increments.
Care management covers behind-the-scenes support that keeps everything running smoothly—care planning, service coordination, monitoring your wellbeing, and connecting with health professionals on your behalf. The government requires us to record each episode individually. Care management costs are capped at 10% of your quarterly funding, so you'll never pay more than that, even if you need additional support.
Reimbursements
Five Good Friends pays for approved associated providers' services, products, and equipment on your behalf. In exceptional cases, you may pay upfront and request reimbursement within 30 days, provided the expense is eligible and within your budget and help plan. Always discuss purchases with your care coordinator before proceeding.
Government Contributions
Services Australia determines your contribution amount based on your individual circumstances. Each month, we collect your contribution on behalf of the government via secure direct debit through EziDebit. Your payment details are protected, and direct debits are processed in arrears.