Most older Australians have contributed through a lifetime of taxes. In return, the government has established Support at Home – geared to not only provide financial assistance but to also ensure that services meet national quality standards.
Think of Support at Home like Medicare, supporting ageing at home, in turn staying away from residential care facilities and hospitals.
Support at Home isn’t just about funding. It’s about giving individuals access to best practice and government safeguards. The alternative is going it alone with private funding, which many have had to do, until now.
Now, there’s no downside. Regardless of your income or wealth, if you are an older Australian having a care plan in place provides you with more options, at no cost to you.
Here’s what you need to know
1. Get an Assessment
Call 1800 200 422 or visit myagedcare.gov.au to register and book an assessment.
After that, someone will talk to you on the phone and then visit you at home to see what help you need. They’ll ask about your health, what you can do on your own, what support you already have, and about your goals.
The assessment will take 1–2 hours and, depending on urgency and location, will result in a Support Plan delivered in 1–6 weeks.
2. Services are based on your needs, not your age alone
The government assessor (really a team of multidisciplinary professionals called an Aged Care Assessment Team) follows a standard methodology to determine what services and funding you’re eligible for.
3. The more you delay registering, the longer the wait
After you’re approved, there can be a wait of 3 to 12 months before funding is allocated to you and services begin.
Even if you don’t need much help now, applying early means you’ll be in the system and have support ready if your needs change.
4. A Support Plan includes up to $80,000 funding per year, plus extras
Support includes things like:
• A care manager
• A care plan
• Nursing
• Physio
• Home improvements
• Equipment
• Cleaning
• Meal preparation and delivery
• Personal care
• Transport (i.e., taxis)
• And other costs related to ageing
5. Non-clinical service costs are shared
Clinical services are free under Support at Home. This includes nursing, allied health (like physio or occupational therapy) and care management. By free we mean you’ll make no personal contribution, so essentially its ‘bulk billed’ to your Support at Home package.
The government (via Centrelink) uses an income and assets test to decide individual contributions for non-clinical items, called Independence and Everyday Supports.
Independence Support includes things like mobility & safety aids, help to keep you safe and well at home such as personal care (showering, dressing), home improvements and transport. Depending on income and assets, an individual will pay 5–50% of the cost of these services (or think of it like a discount of 95% to 50%). The government pays the rest.
Everyday Living Support includes things like cleaning, laundry, shopping and meal preparation or delivery. An individual will pay 17.5–80% of the cost of these services (i.e. a discount of 82.5% to 20%).
6. You choose your provider
Once approved for a package, you will be required to sign on with a provider. Shop around for a provider that suits your values, budget, and needs.
There are almost 1,000 providers – think big, small, good, bad, ethnic specific, low cost, expensive, religious based, community, for profit, not for profit, full service, and self-managed.
Choosing can be hard! We recommend interviewing several to find one that meets your needs. It’s important to note that all might be great operators however will likely have different strengths for different types of customers. You need to fit their strengths.
Good news! If they don’t work out you can easily change providers. Provide them with notice and transfer to a new provider. Noting also providers can not charge you an exit fee.
7. There’s more support as your needs grow
Under Support at Home there are eight levels of support – from basic to high care needs. Plus other funding for special needs like oxygen, remoteness, enteral feeding, assistive technology, home modifications, restorative care and end of life.
You can be reassessed and increase funding level as needs change.
8. Carers can also get help
Family and unpaid carers can access respite care, support payments and counselling.
The Carer Gateway is a free Government service that provides practical support for anyone caring for a family member or friend. It offers counselling, respite care, coaching, emergency planning along with connecting carers to local services. You can call 1800 422 737 or visit carergateway.gov.au to get started.
It’s available to all carers, including those looking after older people. No Centrelink payments are needed to access it.
9. There’s help navigating it all
Care Managers are free advocates, support coordinators, and independent advisors who can help you understand your options and rights.
Your Care Manager, backed by a good organisation, is one of your most important relationships so choose wisely.
10. Stay in control
In home aged care is consumer directed. What this means is that you as the care recipient make the choices – from who provides your care to how the money is spent. For example:
• Even after selecting a registered home care provider, if you don’t like their fees for their direct care staff or nursing, you can bring in your own and they need to support you here (only denying services on compliance grounds).
• Care Plans must consider your goals, not the assessor’s view of your needs, and fund these goals for eligible expenditure related to ageing.
• You will receive a Charter of Rights. This is very powerful and any service provider who is found in breach of the Charter has their license at risk.
