Support at Home
Our prices
These are the prices we charged people for Support at Home services in July and August 2026. We publish them every two months so you can see what we charge before you agree to anything.
- Provider
- Local Guardians Pty Ltd
- Provider ID
- 5125
- Period covered
- 1 July to 31 August 2026
- Next update
- By 30 October 2026
How we set our price
- You choose the worker or business that delivers your service. We pay them their rate.
- We add 10 per cent to that rate. That covers arranging the service, checking the worker's insurance and clearances, paying the invoice and keeping your records straight.
- The total is the one price you pay. There are no separate booking fees, exit fees or administration fees on top.
Because you choose the worker, the price follows their rate. That is why we show a range as well as the most common price. Care management is funded separately by the government and is not charged on top of your service prices.
The 12 service types
Support at Home groups every service into 12 types. We publish a price for each service we delivered, under the type it belongs to.
- 1Allied health and therapy11 services priced
- 2Care management1 service priced
- 3Domestic assistance3 services priced
- 4Home maintenance and repairs2 services priced
- 5Home or community general respite2 services priced
- 6Meals2 services priced
- 7Nursing care3 services priced
- 8Personal care3 services priced
- 9Restorative care managementNot delivered this period
- 10Social support and community engagement6 services priced
- 11Therapeutic service for independent living4 services priced
- 12Transport1 service priced
Service type 1 of 12
Allied health and therapy
| Service | Most common price | Most charges fall between |
|---|---|---|
| Allied health assistance | $126.50per hour | $126.00 to $165.00 |
| PodiatryPrices for this service vary widely. The range is the better guide. | $214.50per hour | $104.00 to $198.00 |
| Social workOnly a small number of these services were delivered in this period. | $132.00per hour | $132.00 to $132.00 |
| Speech pathology | $95.45per hour | $95.00 to $130.00 |
| Diet or nutritionPrices for this service vary widely. The range is the better guide. | $196.90per hour | $45.00 to $196.00 |
| Physiotherapy | $207.00per hour | $132.00 to $207.00 |
| PsychologyOnly a small number of these services were delivered in this period. | $278.30per hour | $278.00 to $286.00 |
| Exercise physiology | $174.30per hour | $63.00 to $175.00 |
| Occupational therapy | $220.00per hour | $195.00 to $242.00 |
| Counselling or psychotherapyOnly a small number of these services were delivered in this period. | $132.00per hour | $74.00 to $113.00 |
| Nutrition supports | $49.50per hour | $23.00 to $117.00 |
Service type 2 of 12
Care management
| Service | Most common price | Most charges fall between |
|---|---|---|
| Home support care management | $154.00per hour | $138.00 to $154.00 |
Service type 3 of 12
Domestic assistance
| Service | Most common price | Most charges fall between |
|---|---|---|
| General house cleaning | $66.00per hour | $65.00 to $83.00 |
| Laundry services | $71.50per hour | $55.00 to $77.00 |
| Shopping assistance | $66.00per hour | $65.00 to $94.00 |
Service type 4 of 12
Home maintenance and repairs
| Service | Most common price | Most charges fall between |
|---|---|---|
| Gardening | $66.00per hour | $66.00 to $110.00 |
| Assistance with home maintenance and repairs | $92.40per hour | $68.00 to $97.00 |
Service type 5 of 12
Home or community general respite
| Service | Most common price | Most charges fall between |
|---|---|---|
| Flexible respite | $110.00per hour | $79.00 to $187.00 |
| Community and centre based respite | $71.50per hour | $71.00 to $408.00 |
Service type 6 of 12
Meals
| Service | Most common price | Most charges fall between |
|---|---|---|
| Meal deliveryCovers both meals supplied and help preparing meals. Ask us for a quote. | $75.45per delivery | Varies |
| Meal preparation | $55.00per hour | $55.00 to $83.00 |
Service type 7 of 12
Nursing care
| Service | Most common price | Most charges fall between |
|---|---|---|
| Registered nurse clinical care | $181.50per hour | $110.00 to $184.00 |
| Enrolled nurse clinical care | $127.00per hour | $127.00 to $130.00 |
| Nursing assistant clinical care | $186.10per hour | $186.00 to $187.00 |
Service type 8 of 12
Personal care
| Service | Most common price | Most charges fall between |
|---|---|---|
| Assistance with self-care and activities of daily living | $71.50per hour | $66.00 to $93.00 |
| Assistance with the self-administration of medication | $81.90per hour | $80.00 to $101.00 |
| Continence management (non-clinical)Charged per item, not per hour. Ask us for a quote. | $1.10per hour | Varies |
Service type 9 of 12
Restorative care management
We did not deliver this service in July or August 2026, so there is no price to publish. Contact us if you need it.
Service type 10 of 12
Social support and community engagement
| Service | Most common price | Most charges fall between |
|---|---|---|
| Group social support | $44.00per hour | $44.00 to $80.00 |
| Individual social support | $71.25per hour | $70.00 to $96.00 |
| Accompanied activities | $66.00per hour | $66.00 to $86.00 |
| Cultural support | $67.25per hour | $67.00 to $68.00 |
| Digital education and support | $61.60per hour | $61.00 to $73.00 |
| Assistance to maintain personal affairs | $80.95per hour | $71.00 to $81.00 |
Service type 11 of 12
Therapeutic service for independent living
| Service | Most common price | Most charges fall between |
|---|---|---|
| Acupuncture | $88.00per hour | $88.00 to $138.00 |
| Chiropractics | $72.40per hour | $72.00 to $107.00 |
| Remedial massage | $165.00per hour | $129.00 to $165.00 |
| Osteopathy | $112.20per hour | $112.00 to $127.00 |
Service type 12 of 12
Transport
| Service | Most common price | Most charges fall between |
|---|---|---|
| Direct transportCharged per kilometre travelled. Some trips are charged as a flat fare. | $1.10per kilometre | $1.00 to $72.00 |
All registered Support at Home providers have the same fee structure:
- Care Management is capped at 10% of the funding set by the government.
- All other administration costs are included in the unit prices of services.
This means the only pricing difference between providers is the unit cost of each service, like nursing or personal support, where most funding is spent.
Local Guardians is different because we’re an independent provider. We don’t employ carers or set fixed service prices. Instead, our clients self-manage and choose their own carers at the best market rate, with a flat 10% administration fee added to the service cost.
Care Management Fee - 10%
Under Support at Home, the government keeps 10% of each participant’s care funding for Care Management. This amount pays the provider’s Care Managers for the time they bill when planning, checking, and adjusting care to meet each person’s needs and follow government rules. If not all of the 10% is billed and it isn’t used to support other participants’ care management, the government keeps what’s left.
The 10% also works a bit like insurance – care management is a mandatory government defined service, and everyone must receive it. Some people will need more support than others, and when that happens, the provider must still deliver the care management required, even if the time spent goes beyond what can be paid for.
Self Management Administration Fee
Because we don’t employ care staff or earn a margin from care services we add a 10% Administration Fee to each service provider invoice. This covers the costs associated with being a Registered Provider – things like quality, compliance, governance, payment processing and support. None of this can be covered by Care Management billing and is what keeps Local Guardians running behind the scenes.
Important: You only pay this fee when you receive services. If you’re not using your funding in a particular period, there are no fees charged.
The good news? Choosing your own third party service providers means you can still save money. Here’s how:
As an example, a traditional ‘full service’ provider (who has their own care workforce) might charge $90/hour for a support worker. With us, you can engage a support worker of your choice for $50/hour + our admin fee ($5), totaling $55/hour. That’s $35 less per hour – resulting in significantly more care hours from the same budget.
Your Wallet Explained
Under the Support at Home program, personal contributions are only applied when services are actually used. This is fairer than the previous system, where a fixed fee was charged regularly regardless of service use.
To support timely payment of your service providers, a Wallet is maintained with a minimum balance (generally around two weeks of expected personal contributions), held safely in trust. If the balance falls below this level, it is automatically topped up by direct debit. Any unspent balance always remains your money and is fully refundable if you leave.
Because contributions are triggered when invoices are received and claimed (which may be after the service date), amounts can vary from month to month. The Wallet helps smooth these timing differences, reduces unexpected bills, and ensures providers can be paid promptly alongside government funding.
Importantly, each time a top-up notification is issued, you retain visibility and decision-making over contribution-attracting expenses, as these are directly linked to the services you choose to use.
Read our blog: https://localguardians.com/understanding-support-at-home-and-personal-contributions/
Interested to chat more about your situation, and find out how we can help you get more care?
Real Reviews From People Just Like You
Over the past year or so and in particular since the new aged care program has been implemented I am genuinely surprised at the number of people who have either complained themselves about their provider or on behalf of a relative or friend. This tells me two things, either the system is rubbish or people are not getting the information they should be from their provider. I can honestly say, having been the main point of contact for my husband’s aged care provider Local Guardians have been nothing but open and up front in everything. From the first days to the debacle of the change over to the new system, to navigating the new system we have been updated all along the way, in many cases by email from the CEO. In particular the change over created issues for many and some very serious but in spite of working to set up a system that would talk to the government one and trying to solve how to service clients who were running out of money courtesy of the government changes and time frame we were kept up to date with all we n ended to know. It is refreshing to find an organisation that makes the effort to ensure their clients are informed and looked after in spite of having to work with a difficult system. A big vote of thanks to the CEO and hubby’s client manager
Amassing help and support we couldn't ask for anymore. Navigating the support Mum needs to stay at home safe and well thank you.
Local Guardians has been incredibly supportive and easy to work with throughout my mum’s aged‑care journey. Their team is prompt, organised, and always willing to help, which has made a complicated process feel much more manageable for our family. A special mention to Shivali, whose communication and follow‑through have been outstanding. She consistently ensures everything is handled quickly and smoothly, and her support has made a real difference. It was simple to set up with no long or complicated contracts, and their platform makes it easy to see exactly where Mum’s funding is being spent. Everything is transparent and straightforward, which gave us real peace of mind. I would highly recommend Local Guardians to anyone looking for a reliable, responsive, and caring service provider.
Laura Turner (Care Advisor) and Ray Desposito (?) at Capital Guardians, have both been pro-active and helpful in managing my care.
Our Care Advisor, Debbie, has been very helpful and extremely patient! She also has a good sense of humour and has so far, been a delight to deal with.
Doreen Buckley Laura has been professional and ever so helpful at all times. She has made rhe transition to Lical Guardians so easy for me. She responds to my queries immediately and is quite frankly the best coordinator I have had and this is my 3rd provider. Thank you Laura. You are amazing Aug 12th 2026 I am happy for Laura but sad for us, her clients, about her upcoming maternity leave. Laura is the best service person I have encountered ever. She is professional, patient, super helpful, responds to all queries immediately and is always understanding when I make errors and so willing to help with everything. She is what every company and group would want in a service employee. Thank you Laura for.all your help guidance and support these last few months. Best of Luck as you embark on maternity leave and may the birth of your new Bub bring lots of joy and happiness