Support at Home

Support at Home helps seniors with everyday tasks like housework, personal care, meal preparation and home nursing. If you’re aged over 65 years (or over 50 years for Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people) and need support to live safely at home, you might be eligible for Support at Home.

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What is Support at Home?

Support at Home is a Commonwealth Government program that has been designed to help older Australians get the support they need to age well and live safely and independently in their own homes. The program subsidises the cost of home care, with the amount of funding you receive depending on how much support you need.

Getting started

The first step is contacting My Aged Care for an assessment.

My Aged Care can provide you with information on the different types of services available – including how much you may need to pay for your care – and put you in touch with aged care support services in your area.

My Aged Care is also the starting point for your assessment process. An assessment is a way of working out whether you are eligible to receive government-funded services, and what services you might need.

After your assessment, you will receive a Notice of Decision letter that tells you if you have been approved for Support at Home. The letter will also include your support plan, and the information you need to access these services, such as a referral code you can share with your chosen provider so they can start organising services for you.

What does Support at Home cover?

Depending on your aged care assessment and eligibility, you may have access to a variety of services, including

  • Clinical care: including nursing, occupational therapy, and continence care.
  • Independence support: such as help with showering, dressing, taking medications, transport, or respite care.
  • Everyday living: assistance with cleaning, gardening, shopping, or meal preparation.
  • Assistive Technology and Home Modifications (AT-HM Scheme): helps with access to walking frames, grab rails, ramps.
  • Short Term Restorative Care: supports to help with recovery after an illness or injury.
  • End‑of‑life Pathway: supports to assist at the end of life.

You will need to contribute to the cost of your care, with your contribution amount depending on the type of services you receive, your income and assets, and the provider you choose.

Ten per cent of your ongoing quarterly Support at Home budget is pooled into Care Management, to cover the cost of coordinating your services, managing your budget, and reviewing your care plan.

Eligibility

You may be eligible for Support at Home if you:

  • Are aged 65 years or older (or 50 years and over for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people)
  • Have a medical condition that affects your mobility
  • Have noticed changes in what you can do or remember
  • Have had a recent fall or hospital admission
  • Have experienced changes in family or carer support
My Aged Care Support at Home Costs and contributions Managing your budget Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission

Support at Home is a Commonwealth Government program that helps older Australians live safely and independently at home. It provides subsidised support for everyday activities like housework, shopping, personal care, meal preparation, and home nursing.

Support at Home is for older people who need some assistance to continue living at home. You may be eligible if you:

  • Are aged 65 years or older (or 50 years and over for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people)
  • Have a medical condition that affects your mobility
  • Have noticed changes in what you can do or remember
  • Have had a recent fall or hospital admission
  • Have experienced changes in family or carer support

The first step is to contact My Aged Care for an assessment. They will:

  • Talk to you about your needs
  • Explain what services are available
  • Assess your eligibility for government‑funded care
  • If you’re eligible, place you into one of eight Support at Home funding classifications

After your assessment, you will receive a Notice of Decision letter that tells you if you have been approved for Support at Home. The letter will include your support plan, and the information you need to access these services, such as a referral code you can share with your chosen provider so they can start organising services for you.

Depending on your assessment and funding classification, Support at Home services may include:

  • Clinical care – nursing, continence support, occupational therapy
  • Independence support – help with showering, dressing, medications, transport, and respite
  • Everyday living – cleaning, gardening, shopping, and meal preparation
  • Assistive Technology and Home Modifications – walking frames, grab rails, ramps
  • Short‑term pathways:
    • Short Term Restorative Care – supports to help with recovery after an illness or injury
    • End‑of‑life Pathway – supports to assist at the end of life

Support at Home provides an annual budget based on your classification level (Levels 1–8). This budget is used to fund your approved services and includes:

  • The funding you receive from the Australian Government
  • Any income‑tested care fees (contributions) you are asked to pay

Your contribution amount depends on the type of services you receive, your income and assets, and the provider you choose. Your provider will help you understand and get the most out of your Support at Home budget.

The amount of funding you receive depends on your classification level. Budgets range from approximately $10,696 per year (Level 1) to $77,709 per year (Level 8).

Your level reflects how much support you need, based on your My Aged Care assessment.

Yes. Under Support at Home, you are expected to contribute toward your care costs. Your contribution depends on:

  • The type of services you receive
  • Your income and assets
  • The provider you choose

Your income and assets are assessed using the Age Pension means test. Commonwealth Seniors Health Card holders generally pay lower contributions than self‑funded retirees.

Ten per cent of your quarterly Support at Home budget is pooled into a Care Management Fund, which is managed by your provider. This ensures your services are coordinated, your budget is managed properly, and your care plan remains up to date.

The AT‑HM scheme provides separate funding to help you stay safe and independent at home through:

  • Assistive technology (e.g. walking frames, wheelchairs)
  • Home modifications (e.g. grab rails, ramps)

Funding is available across three tiers:

  • Low: under $500
  • Medium: up to $2,000
  • High: up to $15,000

The Restorative Care Pathway offers short term supports to help as you recover following an illness or injury, or to manage age‑related decline. This pathway focuses on improving strength, mobility, and independence, and if approved, you can receive 12 weeks ( which can be extended to 16 weeks) allied health support.

The End‑of‑Life Pathway provides additional support in the final three months of life. It offers funding of up to $25,000 over three months to help cover increased care and support needs during this time.

If you partner with Kirinari, we’ll work with you to:

  • Understand your Support at Home budget
  • Choose services that meet your needs
  • Adjust your care as your circumstances change

 Call us on 1300 547 462 to get started.

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