About Us
Sunbird Aged Care Navigation
Sunbird Aged Care Navigation is based in Cairns, QLD, working with families across Australia.
Hi, I’m Michelle Hardy
I spent most of my working life as a project manager, the person companies bring in when a process has gotten too complicated and someone needs to make sense of it. I didn’t expect to use that skill on my own family.
When my parents needed more support, I went looking for straightforward answers about what they were entitled to and how to access it. I didn’t get straightforward answers. I got conflicting information and long waits, plus forms that assumed I already understood a system I’d never had to think about before.
Talking to other people going through the same thing, I realised I wasn’t the exception. Families all over the country were stressed, overwhelmed, and missing out on support they’d already earned the right to. So in 2022 I started Sunbird Aged Care Navigation, pointing the same skills I’d used for years untangling complicated processes at work toward the aged care system instead.
Getting better outcomes from Aged Care is my passion.
Why families work with Sunbird
I’m not connected to any aged care provider. I don’t take commissions or referral fees for recommending one service over another, which means when I tell a family what I think they should do, it’s because I think it’s genuinely their best option, not because someone’s paying me to say it.
That independence is the whole point. My job is to sit on your side of the table: to explain what you’re entitled to, how the assessment process actually works, and which providers are worth your time, based on nothing but what’s right for your family.
What working together looks like
Every family’s starting point is different, so how involved I am is up to you. Some people just want a 15-minute phone call to point them in the right direction. Others want me managing the whole process, from the first call to My Aged Care through to comparing home care packages or residential options.
Most engagements start the same way: a phone call where I ask about your situation and your loved one’s needs, then map out what they’re likely eligible for and what the next steps look like. From there, it’s as light-touch or hands-on as you need.
The track record
Since launching in 2022, I’ve worked with more than 90 families across Australia, from Cairns and Gordonvale through to Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney, most of it over the phone. Sunbird holds a 5-star average across more than 25 client reviews. I also partner with B1G1 (Buy1Give1), so every family I help contributes to community giving projects worldwide. That partnership has generated more than 900 giving impacts so far.
What Families Say
REal Families, REal Outcomes
“Thank you again for everything you do Michelle. Dad and I couldn’t have got through this without your help.” Ree, Cairns
Ready to get some clarity?
A free 15-minute call cuts through months of confusion. No obligation, no sales pitch. Just a real conversation with someone who’s been through it.