Services Meal preparation
Meal preparation
Home-cooked food, made the way you like it, with a bit of company in the kitchen.
- A care coordinator calls within 2 business days
- Matched by interests, language and personality
- Police-checked and vetted companions
- No ongoing contract for everyday support
Sound familiar?
If any of these sound like you, or someone you love, we'd love to help.
Cooking for one doesn't feel worth the effort.
I miss proper home-cooked meals.
Standing at the stove for long is hard now.
How it goes
Every visit is different, so think of this as an example.
It starts with a conversation
A coordinator meets you, in your home where we can, before any care starts, to learn what a good day looks like for you.
Your companion arrives
Your companion arrives and you decide together what's on the menu, from a family recipe to something simple you've been craving.
Time together
You cook alongside each other, or you sit and chat while dinner comes together. The kitchen is tidied before they go.
After every visit
Your companion writes a short summary before they leave: what was done, how you seemed and anything worth passing on. It appears in your account straight away.
What it can look like
Who it suits. People who'd like proper home-cooked food without doing all the cooking themselves.
- Cooking a meal together from a favourite recipe
- Fresh meals made the way you like them
- Tidying up the kitchen afterwards
- Trying something new, if you're up for it
Matched to you, not just your task
We choose companions for who they are as well as what they do: shared interests, language and personality. Your care coordinator talks it through with you and explains why they suggested each person.
For example
If you grew up on your mother's Italian cooking, your coordinator looks for a companion who loves to cook and enjoys the same flavours.
- Shared interests
- Same language
- Personality fit
- Shared hobbies
- Chatty or calm
- Right days & times
Good to have in your corner
Carefully checked companions
Every companion completes a National Police Check, identity verification and two reference checks. Where a State or Territory operates a Working With Vulnerable People scheme covering this work, our companions hold that clearance as well.
Someone to call
Your care coordinator is a phone call away for any questions. We're here Monday to Friday, 8am to 7pm your local time.
Plans can change
Need to change or cancel a visit? That's okay, plans change. Give us two business days' notice and we'll reschedule, or you won't be charged.
Wondering about the cost? It's from $120 an hour, including GST, and you'll always see the full price before you book. What it costs →
What our companions don't do
- Companions only provide support they're trained, qualified and insured to provide, and will decline anything outside that.
- No clinical or nursing care, such as injections, wound care, or catheter and stoma management, unless we've told you in writing that it's available to you.
- Companions can remind you that medication is due, but they don't administer it.
- Everyday companion visits don't include heavy cleaning, work at height or home repairs. Gardening, handyman, painting, electrical and plumbing work are their own services, booked separately.
- Electrical and plumbing work is only ever done by a licensed electrician or plumber.
- If you need support we don't provide, tell us and we'll help you find a suitable provider.
Birchmere is not an emergency service. In an emergency, call 000.
Can you cook to my tastes?
That's the idea. Tell your care coordinator what you like and any preferences you have, and they'll pass it on to your companion.
Do I have to help with the cooking?
Only if you'd like to. Some people cook alongside their companion; others prefer to sit and chat while the meal comes together.
Can you cater for what I can't eat or don't like?
Tell your care coordinator about any dietary needs and preferences, and they'll pass them on to your companion.
Will I meet my companion before the first visit?
Your care coordinator introduces your companion and tells you a little about them, so you know who is coming before they arrive.
Are your companions checked?
Every companion completes a National Police Check, identity verification and two reference checks. Where a State or Territory operates a Working With Vulnerable People scheme covering this work, our companions hold that clearance as well.
Trust & safety →What if I need to cancel or reschedule?
Need to change or cancel a visit? That's okay, plans change. Give us two business days' notice and we'll reschedule, or you won't be charged. Inside two business days we charge 60% of the visit, capped at 4 hours. We waive it for hospital admission, illness, death or serious illness in the family, or emergencies.
Cancellation details →What does it cost?
From $120 per hour including GST. The price of each visit depends on the support you choose, the day and time, and where you live. You will always see the full price before you book.
What it costs →Other ways we can help
Would you like to deliver this kind of care? See carer roles
Guides that might help
Free to read online or download.
Guide2 min read
Is it time for help at home?
The quiet signs worth noticing, and how to raise the subject with someone you love.
Read online: Is it time for help at home?↓ PDF: Is it time for help at home?
Checklist2 min read
Coming home from hospital
A checklist for the days before and after discharge, so the move home goes smoothly.
Read online: Coming home from hospital↓ PDF: Coming home from hospital
Want to talk it through?
A care coordinator will call you within 2 business days. Real human, no scripts, no obligation.
Get started