Understanding Home Care Packages

What is a Home Care Package?

The Australian Government provides in-home support as people age. The Home Care Packages Program provides individualised coordinated care and services for people over 65 with complex ageing related care needs. It assists you to live safely and independently in your own home for as long as it is safe and appropriate to do so. The program supports you with daily activities that you used to do for yourself but may need assistance with now. It is not a general income support program like the Age Pension.

Steps to getting a Home Care Package

There are a few steps to getting a Home Care Package.

Step 1: Assessment

You need to be assessed as eligible to receive a Home Care Package by an Aged Care Assessment Team. Read more about the process at www.myagedcare.gov.au/assessment or call My Aged Care on 1800 200 422 to organise an assessment.

Step 2: Package assignment

Once you are approved for a package, you are placed in the National Priority System (NPS) queue, to await assignment of your package. Your place on the NPS is based on the date you were approved and level of priority. Information on estimated wait times is available at www.myagedcare.gov.au/help-at-home/home-care-packages.

You will be sent a letter when you are assigned a Home Care Package.

Step 3: Choosing your provider

Once assigned a package, you will choose a provider who will manage your ongoing assessed care needs and goals. You will enter into a Home Care Agreement with your chosen provider, and together you will create an agreed care plan. You can use the ‘Find a Provider’ tool on My Aged Care to compare providers in your area at www.myagedcare.gov.au/find-a-provider.

Step 4: Income assessment

You may need to contribute to the cost of your care by paying a basic daily fee and/or an income tested care fee. Services Australia will do an income assessment to check if you need to pay the income tested care fee. This fee does not apply to full pensioners. Services Australia also assesses claims for financial hardship support if needed. To have your income assessed, please complete the SA456 form at www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/sa456.

A provider cannot waive or remove income tested care fees and must charge the maximum fee for non-pensioners who do not complete an income assessment.