How Does a Home Care Package (Support at Home) Actually Work?
A plain-English walkthrough of how Support at Home works.
If you've never navigated the aged care system before, the process can feel like a maze of acronyms. Here's what actually happens, step by step.
Step 1: Get assessed. You (or a family member on your behalf) contact My Aged Care, either online or by phone. An assessor will visit or call to talk through your day-to-day routine, your physical and mental health, and what matters most to you. This determines which of the eight Support at Home classification levels you're approved for.
Step 2: Wait for funding to become available. This is the part families are often least prepared for. Demand for in-home aged care has consistently outstripped the number of funded places available, and industry outlets like Community Care Review and The Weekly Source have both reported on the resulting backlogs and administrative pressure providers are under as the system transitions. Wait times do fluctuate, so it's worth checking current figures on My Aged Care rather than relying on anything you've read that isn't dated.
Step 3: Choose a provider. Once funding is approved, you have a set window (currently 56 days from approval) to choose an approved provider. This is where it's worth taking your time, compare not just price, but which specific services each provider actually offers, and whether they cover your suburb.
Its important to note that you may be approved for CHSP (Commonwealth Home Support Package). This level of funding is typically low, and requires co-payment from the Participant. The government released CHSP funding to a finite amount of registered providers nationally. The funding within these providers is capped, which means that they either have limited or no availability to service additional clients. You will need to ring CHSP providers, listed in My Aged Care to find an available CHSP provider or request My Aged Care to reassess you for Support At Home funding. Wait times apply.
Step 4: Set up your care plan and budget. Your chosen provider works with you to build a plan around your actual needs, and to explain how your quarterly budget will be used.
Step 5: Services begin. From here, it's about your provider showing up reliably, communicating clearly, and adjusting your plan as your needs change over time.
A note on cost: most people on a Support at Home classification make some financial contribution based on an income assessment through Services Australia, though clinical care (like nursing) is fully government-funded regardless of income. If you're weighing up costs, our How Much Does Home Care Cost in Victoria article goes into more detail.
