Clearing the Way Home: Sarah's Story
Sarah is an NDIS participant who had been living in community housing in the Lismore area. When her safety and wellbeing required her to be urgently relocated, the property she left behind did not stay empty for long.
Squatters moved in. What followed was the kind of damage that is difficult to describe without seeing it firsthand. The residence was left in a state of severe hoarding and squalor, with biohazard contamination throughout. Sarah's belongings, including clothing, personal items, and irreplaceable family mementoes, were buried beneath the debris left behind by people who had no regard for the space or the person it belonged to.
Once the occupants were removed, the call came to Sistability.
What Is the DVA Veteran Home Care Program?
The Veteran Home Care (VHC) program is one of the most practical, accessible supports DVA offers. It is designed specifically to help eligible veterans and war widows with day-to-day tasks at home: the cleaning, the laundry, the garden that keeps getting away from you. The kind of things that pile up quietly until they become a real problem.
If you or someone you care about has served, here is what you need to know.
From Our Founder: Why I Started Sistability and What Still Drives Me Every Day
Sistability was born in 2018 when my sister Holi and I watched two family members struggle to get the in-home support they needed. The services existed, at least in theory. But finding a provider who was reliable, genuinely caring, and capable of working with someone in a complex situation? That was another thing entirely. We kept hitting walls. We kept being let down. And we kept thinking: this can't be how it works for everyone.
It was. And in many ways, it still is.
From Workplace Injury to Peace of Mind: Jonathan's Insurance Story
Jonathan suffered a work-related injury that required hip surgery in October last year, followed by ongoing operations and treatment. With his wife working and two kids at home, managing the household became an immediate challenge during his recovery.
Jonathan found us on Google, and the insurer reached out to assist with support services as part of his workers compensation claim.
Biohazard Cleaning: What It Is andWhen You Need It
Biohazard cleaning is the safe removal and decontamination of biological matter that poses a risk to human health. This is specialist work that requires personal protective equipment, industry-approved cleaning agents, strict disposal protocols, and a team trained to manage both the physical environment and the human circumstances surrounding it.
It is intense work, and we do not shy away from that. Our team is trained and experienced in managing these environments…
Choosing People Over Profit: Our Commitment to Quality Care
There is a version of Sistability that could look very different to the one that exists today.
It could be bigger. It could operate across more regions. It could take on more clients, more contracts, more work. The demand is there. The opportunity has been there. And there have been moments where the path to rapid growth was genuinely available to us.
We chose not to take it. Here is why.
A Guide for Professionals: How to Refer a Client for Specialised Cleaning
If you work in disability support, aged care, community housing, or health services, you will have encountered this situation. A client's home has deteriorated to a point where it is no longer safe or liveable. The environment is affecting their health, their dignity, and their ability to function day to day. A regular clean is not going to fix it. What they need is a specialist.
Knowing who to call and what to expect when you do makes a significant difference in how quickly and smoothly a situation can be resolved. This is a practical guide to referring a client to Sistability for specialised cleaning, and what happens from there.
Insurance Cleaning: What It Is and Why More People Are Coming to Us for It
Most people who find Sistability find us through aged care or disability support. They've heard about us through a care coordinator, a GP, a family member, or simply by searching for a cleaner in the Northern Rivers who genuinely understands their situation.
But lately, we've been hearing from a different kind of client. People who have been through an accident, an injury, a storm, a flood, or some other unexpected event, and whose insurance company is covering the cost of cleaning and home support while they get back on their feet.
Connecting with Ballina's Seniors: Our Team at the Ballina Retirement Living & Senior Lifestyle Expo
Earlier this month, our team had the pleasure of attending the Ballina Retirement Living & Senior Lifestyle Expo, held at the beautiful Ballina Jockey Club on Racecourse Road. It was a wonderful morning filled with genuine conversations, warm connections, and the chance to help local seniors and their families understand the support available to them.
Our Aged Care Manager Jenn and CEO Jade were on the ground from 10am, ready to chat with the Ballina community about navigating the aged care system and how our services can make life at home easier, more comfortable, and more independent.
Not All Cleans Are Created Equal: Understanding the Different Types of Domestic Cleaning and Which One You Need
When most people think about getting a cleaner, they picture someone coming in to vacuum, mop, and wipe down the surfaces. And sometimes that's exactly what's needed.
But domestic cleaning is not a one-size-fits-all service, and understanding the difference between maintenance cleaning, spring cleaning, and specialised cleaning can help you make sure you're getting the right level of support for your situation.
Four Years of Bezza: What Beryl's Anniversary Says About the Way We Work
Beryl has been part of the Sistability team for four years. In that time she has built genuine, lasting relationships with her regular clients, the kind that take time and consistency to develop and that make a real difference to the people on the receiving end.
She is the person who steps up when the team needs cover. Who takes on extra shifts without being asked twice. Who shows up reliably, week after week, and brings the same care and attention every time. Her clients know her. They trust her. And that trust does not come from a roster. It comes from Beryl.These are the things we look for when we hire. And they can't be faked in an interview for long.
Post-Hospital Discharge Cleaning: Why Coming Home to a Clean House Matters
A hospital stay doesn't pause the rest of life. Dishes might be sitting in the sink from the day the ambulance came. The bathroom may not have been cleaned in weeks. The bedroom might need to be reorganised to accommodate new mobility equipment. In some cases, there might be an infection risk that requires specific cleaning attention before the person returns.
Post-hospital discharge cleaning is one of those services that most people have never heard of until they need it. Here's why it matters, what it involves, and how to arrange it.
We Can Do It: The Story Behind Our Rosie and What She Means to Everything We Do
When we talk about aged care, the conversation almost always centres on the person receiving the care. Their needs, their package, their assessment, their services. And rightly so. But there is another person in this picture who is often overlooked, quietly exhausted, and very rarely asks for help themselves.
The carer.
Five Years of Nicole: The Heart Behind Sistability
There are people who come to work, and there are people who show up fully, consistently, with everything they have.
Five years ago, Sistability gained the latter when Nicole joined the team. And if you've had the privilege of working alongside her, or being supported by the organisation she helps shape, you already know exactly what we mean. As our Services Manager, Nicole has been central to ensuring the people we support receive the highest standard of care, each and every day
Connecting, Learning and Growing: Our CEO at the Norco Primex Business Leaders Luncheon
There's something really special about stepping out of the day-to-day rhythm of running a business and sitting down with other regional leaders who get it: the challenges, the wins, the deep sense of purpose that keeps you going. That's exactly what our CEO Jade had the pleasure of experiencing at the Norco Primex Business Leaders Luncheon on Friday 22nd May, held at Norma's Kitchen at the Lismore Showgrounds.
The Emotional Side of Accepting Help at Home and Why It's Okay
There's a conversation that happens in a lot of families, often quietly and over a long period of time. It's the one where an older parent is clearly finding things harder, where the house isn't quite as tidy as it used to be, where the garden has started to get away, where a son or daughter is beginning to worry. And yet, when the idea of getting some help is raised, the answer is almost always the same.
"I'm fine."
"I don't need anyone coming in here."
"I've been looking after myself for sixty years. I think I can manage."
Why Autumn is a Great Time to Deep Clean Your Home
In summer, doors and windows are open, the house breathes, and life happens mostly outside. By the time autumn arrives, the evidence of a busy summer is everywhere: salt air residue on windows and fly screens, cobwebs in corners and around light fittings, outdoor furniture that has taken a beating, and the general build-up that comes from months of heat and humidity.
Autumn is the natural moment to address all of it. The weather is more comfortable to work in, surfaces dry quickly, and it is far easier to clean a home thoroughly before the evenings start closing in.
Social Procurement: How Working with Sistability Creates Real Community Impact
There's a shift happening in the way organisations think about spending.
It used to be enough to deliver a good service at a fair price. Increasingly, the organisations we work with, whether councils, not-for-profits, businesses or healthcare providers, are asking a different question. Not just "does this supplier do good work?" but "does working with this supplier do good in the world?" That shift has a name. It's called social procurement.
June & Norman - From Overwhelmed to Supported: A Journey through the Aged Care System
When June and Norman Lane first came to Sistability, they were like many seniors facing the gradual reality that daily life was becoming harder to manage on their own. Both in their 80s, this warm and independent couple had spent decades keeping their home in order, but with mounting health concerns and the quiet accumulation of everyday challenges, tasks like cleaning and gardening were starting to slip beyond their reach.
What made their situation particularly stressful was not just the physical difficulty, it was the overwhelming complexity of the Australian aged care system itself. June and Norman had no idea where to begin. The terminology was unfamiliar, the application process daunting, and the prospect of navigating government assessments felt far beyond what they could take on alone.
How a Clean Home Reduces Falls and Hospital Readmissions
Every year, falls send millions of older Australians to emergency rooms. Many of those falls happen not on footpaths or slippery staircases outside, they happen at home, in the very place that should feel safest. And for patients who have recently left hospital, a fall at home doesn't just mean pain. It often means going straight back through those same hospital doors.
The connection between a clean, well-organised home and better health outcomes is stronger than most people realise. Here's what the evidence shows, and what families and carers can do about it.