Bringing Personalised Home Care to Melbourne North West

For Eliza Pritchard, the care she gives her own family is the standard she brings to supporting others. She values the relationships that grow as she learns someone’s routine and becomes a person they and their family can rely on. Now the owner of Simply Helping Melbourne North West, Eliza wants local people to feel that same confidence in the support they receive.

Her journey into supporting others began after the birth of her daughter, when she established a family day care service in her own home. “I wanted to continue working while being at home with my daughter. Family day care allowed me to do both,” she explained. That decision led to five years in early childhood education.

Drawing on her Bachelor of Early Childhood Teaching, Eliza also supported children with additional needs through the Kindergarten Inclusion Support program. Working alongside children with different support needs reinforced the importance of understanding the individual rather than expecting the same approach to work for everyone.

Eliza later gained qualifications in disability support and has since spent around 10 years supporting people with complex needs and their families. Over that time, she has built long-term relationships with the people she supports and developed a strong understanding of how differently people can experience and respond to support.

“No two people need support in exactly the same way,” Eliza said. “Taking the time to understand the person, how they prefer to be supported, and what matters to them is an important part of providing care that genuinely works for them.”

Eliza’s approach to care is also closely connected to her Samoan upbringing, where looking after older family members was simply part of family life. She helped care for her grandparents growing up, and today her own parents live with her. “My parents live with me, and I help care for them, so I understand that responsibility from the family’s perspective as well,” Eliza said. “When you trust someone else to support your parent, you want to know they’re being treated with the same care and consideration you would give them yourself.”

That experience has also shaped how Eliza communicates with families. She understands the reassurance that comes from knowing how a loved one is going and being kept informed about their support.

One relationship in particular has stayed with Eliza throughout her career. She has supported the same woman for more than 10 years, first meeting her when she was a teenager and developing a close relationship with her mother along the way.

Eliza remembers receiving a call from the woman’s mother after the family’s grandmother had passed away. She needed to be at the hospital and had no one else she felt comfortable leaving her daughter with. Eliza went to be with her.

“When you’ve supported someone and their family over many years, you come to know much more than what is written in a care plan,” Eliza said. “You understand their routines, what makes them comfortable, and you become more aware when something isn’t quite right. That kind of trust takes time to build.” Now 26, the young woman remains part of Eliza’s life. For Eliza, their relationship is a reminder of what continuity can mean for both the person receiving support and the family around them.

Eliza also wants to reach families who may need support but are unsure about asking for help. “In my community, some families are unaware of the services available, while others feel they should manage on their own,” she explained. Eliza wants people to feel comfortable discussing their circumstances, with time to ask questions and explore what would help before any support is arranged.

As a fluent Samoan speaker, Eliza can also speak directly with Samoan families about their circumstances and the support they are looking for. For people from other cultural or language backgrounds, she wants them to have the same opportunity to ask questions and understand their options. To support this, she facilitates an interpreter where appropriate.

For Eliza, the principles guiding Simply Helping Melbourne North West are closely connected to the values she grew up with. “I bring the same sense of responsibility to supporting someone as I do when caring for my own family,” she said. “You take the time to understand what they need, you listen to the people who know them well, and when you say you’ll be there, you follow through.”

Contact Eliza and the Simply Helping Melbourne North West team to discuss support options for yourself or a loved one. It could be some help around the home, or assistance participating in the community. Together, you can explore how support is arranged around your existing routine.