How you or your loved one access and pay for in-home services will depend on your situation.
The levels of care varies from entry level care, such as help with housework, through to more complex care needs including wound care and complex health conditions.
- Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP)
- Home Care Packages (HCP)
- Fee for service
You’re eligible to apply for government support once you turn 65, or 50 if you identify as an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person. The government support you receive depends on the support you require.
My Aged Care is the first point of contact for all Australians who hope to access government-funded, government regulated aged care services.
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Step 1: Contact My Aged Care by calling 1800 200 422 to find out which government support is most appropriate for your situation. You can call anytime between Monday-Friday 8am-8pm and Saturdays 10am-2pm.
Step 2: If you are calling My Aged Care for the first time, you will need to complete a quick registration over the phone. Make sure you have your Medicare card with you so you can quote your individual identity number.
This service is for older people who need a lower level of care or temporary assistance with daily tasks to live independently at home. You’re assessed and funded for particular services, such as basic assistance with housework, personal care, meals, transport, allied health and respite care.
You don’t need an income assessment for the Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP) service. There will be a small out of pocket cost for your family member, depending on the home care provider chosen, with a co-contribution usually set at about $11 per service.
After the My Aged Care phone assessment, you or your family member will receive a home visit from an assessor. You can let the assessor know if you have a service provider in mind. If so, the assessor will then arrange your care services with this provider.
The My Aged Care telephone assessment may decide that your loved one needs a higher level of care. Your family member will need to complete an income and assets test with Centrelink to determine what proportion of costs will be covered by the Home Care Package (HCP).
The maximum contribution for people assessed to have sufficient means to contribute to their own care is about $24 a day. A family member who is on a full Age Pension would not usually be required to contribute any funds.
There are four levels of care under the Home Care Packages, and a maximum subsidy available on each.
| Home Care Package | Daily government subsidy rate | Fortnightly government contribution | Level of care |
| Level 1 | $25.15 | $352.10 | Basic care needs such as transport, assistance with shopping or attending appointments |
| Level 2 | $44.24 | $619.36 | Low-level care needs such as assistance with preparing meals, or household tasks such as cleaning or laundry |
| Level 3 | $96.27 | $1,347.78 | Intermediate care needs such as personal care (bathing, dressing and toileting) or provision of mobility aids or health services |
| Level 4 | $145.94 | $2,043.16 | High level care needs such as nursing for complex health conditions or wound care or provision of therapies |
*Subsidies as of August, 2022 – see My Aged Care for the latest
After the My Aged Care phone assessment, you or your family member will receive a home visit from an assessor to understand the level of help required. Sometimes the assessor may recommend you or your loved one access the Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP) while the Home Care Package (HCP) is processed.
Under this option, you or your loved one can privately fund your home care services. This may be the case if you are eligible and are waiting on the government-funded services to commence. Or, you may consider fee for service if your assessment found you to be ineligible for government support. In some situations you may pay a full fee for services that you choose which are outside of your government funded package. There are no government subsidies for privately funded home care services.
By calling us on 1300 610 610, we can support you through the process of applying for and organising home care services. We can assist you to register with My Aged Care for an Aged Care Assessment. This is the first step to receiving a home care package.
Once you have been visited by the Aged Care Assessment Team (ACAT), our Concierge team will work with you to understand how you want your life to look and the services you need to help you reach your goals.
You can contact our Concierge team for a free, confidential and no-obligation discussion by calling 1300 610 610 or online form.
