What is a home care package?
The Australian Government’s Home Care Package Program helps you to live independently in your own home for as long as you can. The Program provides a taxpayer funded subsidy towards a package of care, services and case management to meet your individual needs. There are four levels of home care package. Each level of home care package provides a different subsidy amount. This amount is paid to an approved home care provider that you have selected. The subsidy contributes to the total cost of your service and care delivery. It is also expected that you will contribute to the cost of your care, through a basic daily fee, and in some cases, an income-tested care fee.
The four package levels are structured as follows:
Package level Aged care services for people with:
Yearly subsidy up to approximate* value of
1) Basic care needs $9,179.75
2) Low-level care needs $16,147.60
3) Intermediate care needs $35,138.55
4) High-level care needs $53,268.10
*the maximum government contribution increases each year.
*Current as of May 2023
What can home care package funds be used for?
The types of services that you can purchase under a home care package include but are not limited to:
- Personal services: assistance with personal activities such as bathing, showering, toileting, dressing and undressing, mobility and communication
- Nutrition, hydration, meal preparation and diet: assistance with preparing meals, including special diets for health, religious, cultural or other reasons, assistance with using eating utensils and assistance with feeding
- Continence management: assistance in using continence aids and appliances such as disposable pads and absorbent aids, commode chairs, bedpans and urinals, catheter and urinary drainage appliances, and enemas
- Mobility and dexterity: providing crutches, quadruped walkers, walking frames, walking sticks, mechanical devices for lifting, bed rails, slide sheets, sheepskins, tri-pillows, pressure-relieving mattresses and assistance using these aids
- Nursing, allied health and therapy services: for example, this may include speech therapy, podiatry, occupational or physiotherapy services and other clinical services such as hearing and vision services
- Transport and personal assistance: assistance with shopping, visiting health practitioners and attending social activities y
- Management of skin integrity: assistance with bandages, dressings and skin emollients.
A home care package may also support the use of:
- Telehealth: video conferencing and digital technology (including remote monitoring) to increase access to timely and appropriate care
- Assistive technology: such as devices that assist mobility, communication and personal safety
- Aids and equipment: particularly those that assist a person to perform daily living tasks can be purchased using funds from your package budget.
What can’t home care package funds be used for?
Home care package funds cannot be used as a general source of income for items such as day-to-day bills, food, mortgage payments or rent as an example.
Can I get a home care package?
If you have not already been assessed by an Aged Care Assessment Team (ACAT) for a Home Care Package you (or your nominated representative) need to contact My Aged Care on 1800 200 422.
The contact centre staff will ask you questions to help them understand your needs and care arrangements to inform the next steps.
The contact centre staff may then:
- arrange a face-to-face assessment of your needs that takes place in your own home by a trained assessor
- refer you for aged care services, reflecting any preferences you have for particular service providers
- provide you with aged care information and details on services that may assist you.
They will also ask your permission to create a personalised client record. This will hold up-to-date information on your needs, the results of any assessments and any services that you receive. The client record will reduce the need for you to retell your story.
You can also nominate family and friends as your representatives. They will then be able to view your client record on the My Aged Care system and can act as a representative on your behalf to discuss your care needs and receive any mail relating to your home care package.
The assessment
With your consent, an ACAT member will:
- assess and approve your eligibility for home care to help you continue living at home or refer you to other services
- give you information about home care services in your area
- help you access the care you need
- help you arrange residential respite care, if you need it. Your local ACAT member (usually a nurse, social worker or other health care professional) will make a time to come to your home (or hospital if you are in hospital) and talk to you about how well you are managing in your day-to-day life. They will also explain the assessment process.
The ACAT member may ask your permission to talk to your doctor about your medical history before they meet with you. If you agree, your consent will be recorded by the ACAT member. All information provided will be treated confidentially.
The outcome
After your assessment, an ACAT member will make a formal decision about your care needs, your eligibility to receive a home care package and the level of home care package that meets your needs.
If you are assessed as eligible for a home care package you will:
- receive an approval letter from My Aged Care that sets out the level of home care package you are approved to receive and your priority for care
- be placed in a national queue for a suitable home care package. Your place will be determined by your priority for care and the time you have waited for a package. The time waited will also be based on the date of approval on your letter.
You may not be found eligible to receive a home care package. If this happens you will receive a letter setting out why and who to contact for more help. You may be eligible for other care services and if so, this information will be included with your letter.
If your care needs change at any time, you can request a new ACAT assessment by contacting My Aged Care.
If you don’t receive an approval letter explaining your assessment outcome, call My Aged Care and request a copy.
Work out the costs
The Australian Government provides a subsidy towards your care through the Home Care Packages Program. If your personal circumstances allow, it is expected you will make a financial contribution towards the cost of your care and services.
My Aged Care can give you an estimate of your likely fees. To get an estimate you can:
- use the Fee Estimator on the website at myagedcare.gov.au/fee-estimator; or
- call My Aged Care on 1800 200 422
Before you can commence receiving a home care package, it is recommended that you arrange for a formal income assessment to be completed by the Department of Human Services (DHS). If you choose not to complete this form, you can be asked to pay the maximum income tested care fee.