How to Get Support at Home in 2026: A Complete My Aged Care Guide

Growing older doesn’t mean giving up your independence.

For many older Australians, staying at home means staying close to familiar routines, family, friends and community. But as your needs change, everyday activities such as showering, preparing meals, cleaning, getting to appointments or looking after your health can become more difficult.

The Support at Home program helps eligible older Australians access care and support so they can continue living safely and independently at home.

If you’re applying for aged care for the first time, or helping a family member through the process, it can be difficult to know where to begin.

This guide takes you through the process step by step, from contacting My Aged Care and completing an assessment to receiving funding, understanding your costs and choosing a Support at Home provider.

What Is Support at Home? 

Support at Home is a government-funded aged care program that provides services to eligible older people who need help to continue living at home.

It began on 1 November 2025, replacing the former Home Care Packages Program and Short-Term Restorative Care Programme.

Depending on your assessed needs, Support at Home can help you:

• stay safe and independent at home
• manage your health and wellbeing
• get help with everyday activities
• maintain or regain your abilities
• stay socially connected
• receive care that reflects your needs and goals.

The Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP) remains a separate program from Support at Home. The government has confirmed CHSP will continue as a standalone program until at least 30 June 2029.



CHSP generally provides entry-level assistance, while Support at Home is designed for people who need more coordinated or ongoing support.

Who Is Eligible for Support at Home?

You may be eligible for an aged care assessment if you have care and support needs and are:

• 65 years or older
• 50 years or older if you are Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, or
• 50 years or older and homeless or at risk of homelessness.

Meeting the age requirements does not automatically mean you will receive Support at Home funding.



An aged care assessment looks at your individual needs, abilities, circumstances and goals to determine what support may be suitable for you.

What Services Are Available Under Support at Home?

Support at Home services are grouped into three main contribution categories.

These are services that help manage your health and clinical needs.



They can include approved services such as:

• nursing care
• allied health and therapeutic services
• nutrition support
• continence management.

Participants do not pay a contribution for Clinical Supports.

The cost of approved Clinical Supports is paid from the participant's available Support at Home funding.

2. Independence

These services help you manage everyday activities and maintain your independence.

They can include services such as:

• personal care
• transport
• respite
• social support and community engagement.

Most participants currently contribute towards Independence services. The amount depends on their financial circumstances and applicable contribution arrangements.

Personal Care Is Changing From 1 October 2026

3. Everyday Living

Everyday Living services provide practical assistance with tasks around your home.

They can include approved services such as:

• domestic assistance
• meal preparation
• gardening
• home maintenance and repairs.

Participants generally make a higher contribution towards Everyday Living services than Independence services.

The exact contribution depends on the participant's financial circumstances and applicable government contribution arrangements.

Understanding the process before you begin can make accessing aged care feel much more manageable. Here is how it works.

Step 1: Think About Where You Need Help

Before contacting My Aged Care, think about the everyday activities that have become difficult, tiring or unsafe.

You might need help with:

• showering or dressing
• walking safely around your home
• preparing meals
• cleaning
• getting to appointments
• managing health needs
• staying socially connected
• gardening or maintaining your home.

You don't need to know exactly which Support at Home services you need before applying.

Your aged care assessment is designed to help identify your needs and the types of support that may be appropriate.

Step 2: Contact My Aged Care

My Aged Care is the main starting point for accessing government-funded aged care services.

You can:

• apply through the My Aged Care
• call 1800 200 422
• receive assistance from an appropriate health professional or other support person to start the process.

When contacting My Aged Care, it can be helpful to have information available about:

• your Medicare details
• health conditions
• medications
• recent changes to your health
• recent hospital stays, if relevant
• tasks you are finding difficult
• concerns about mobility or falls
• support you currently receive from family or carers.

A family member, carer or trusted person can also help you through the process.

Step 3: Complete Your Aged Care Assessment

Your aged care assessment looks at your individual needs, abilities and circumstances.

The assessor may talk with you about:

• your daily routine
• personal care
• mobility
• falls and safety
• health conditions
• medication
• preparing meals
• household tasks
• transport
• social activities
• memory and cognition
• support from family and carers
• equipment you use
• your home environment
• your goals for remaining independent.

Be Clear About What Happens on a Difficult Day

It is important not to minimise the help you need.

For example, you might be able to shower by yourself but feel unsteady getting in and out of the shower.

You might be able to prepare a simple meal but find standing in the kitchen exhausting.

You might still drive occasionally but no longer feel comfortable driving to medical appointments.

Explain these difficulties to your assessor.

Your assessment should reflect what everyday life is actually like for you—not simply what you can manage on your best day.



You can also have a family member, carer or other support person involved if you choose.

Step 4: Receive Your Assessment Outcome

What If You Disagree With Your Assessment?

If you believe the decision does not accurately reflect your needs, you have the right to ask for the decision to be reconsidered or reviewed through the appropriate aged care review process.

You can also contact My Aged Care for information about your options.

Supporting information from your GP, specialist, allied health professional or other healthcare professional may help explain your needs.



You can also seek independent assistance from an aged care advocate.

Step 5: Understand Your Participant Contributions

Support at Home is government funded, but many participants contribute towards the cost of some services.

How much you contribute depends on:

• the type of service you receive
• your income and assets
• your individual circumstances
• whether transitional contribution arrangements apply to you.

Services Australia determines the applicable contribution arrangements based on your financial circumstances.

Under the standard Support at Home arrangements:

Read Support at Home Pricing 2026: Fees, Contributions and Funding Explained  to learn more.

Step 7: Choose Your Support at Home Provider

Once you have funding available, you can choose a registered Support at Home provider.

You are not required to choose the first provider you speak with.

Consider asking:

• Do you provide the services I have been approved for?
• What do you charge for each service?
• What is included in the price?
• How will my participant contribution be calculated?
• How will my quarterly budget be managed?
• Who will coordinate my care?
• Can my services change if my needs change?
• Can you accommodate my language or cultural preferences?
• How will my family or carer be involved if I want them to be?

One particularly useful question is:

“Based on your current prices and my approved budget, what services can my funding realistically provide?”

This can help you understand how your available funding translates into practical support.

Step 8: Agree on Your Care Plan, Budget and Service Agreement

Once you choose a provider, you will work together to establish how your support will be delivered.

This includes your:

• care plan
• individualised budget
• service agreement
• approved services
• goals and preferences.

Your service agreement should clearly explain important details about how services will be delivered and what you can expect from your provider.

Before agreeing, make sure you understand:

• which services you will receive
• the price of each service
• your participant contributions
• how often services will be delivered
• how your budget will be managed
• how changes to your services will be handled
• who to contact if you have questions or concerns.



Ask questions about anything you do not understand.

Step 9: Start Receiving Support at Home Services

Once your service arrangements are in place, your care can begin.

Your provider should continue working with you to make sure your services reflect your needs, goals and preferences.



Ongoing Support at Home participants receive care management to help coordinate their support.

Care management can include:

• developing and reviewing your care plan
• coordinating services
• reviewing your individualised budget
• monitoring your needs and goals
• helping you make informed decisions
• coordinating with workers and health professionals
• responding when your circumstances change.

For ongoing Support at Home participants, 10% of each quarterly budget is allocated to care management.

What Should You Check After Your Services Start

During your first few weeks, ask yourself:

• Are services being provided at suitable times?
• Am I receiving the support I expected?
• Do I feel safe and comfortable with my workers?
• Are my language and cultural preferences being respected?
• Is my budget being used in the way we agreed?
• Do I understand what I am paying?
• Do I know who to contact if something needs to change?

If something is not working, speak with your provider.



Your care should continue to reflect your needs and preferences.

What Happens If Your Needs Change

Your needs may change over time.

For example, you may:

• have a fall
• become less mobile
• develop a new health condition
• return home from hospital
• need more help with personal care
• need assistive technology
• require changes to your home
• improve after rehabilitation and need less assistance.

Tell your provider or care partner when your circumstances change.

Your existing services may be able to be adjusted within your approved support plan and available budget.

If your needs have changed significantly, you may need a Support Plan Review or reassessment.

What About Assistive Technology and Home Modifications?

Support at Home also includes the Assistive Technology and Home Modifications (AT-HM) scheme.

AT-HM provides separate needs-based funding for eligible equipment, products and home modifications.

This funding is separate from your ongoing quarterly Support at Home budget.

Depending on your assessment, assistive technology may include eligible products or equipment that help with areas such as:

• mobility
• bathing and showering
• toileting
• communication
• personal safety
• everyday activities.

Eligible home modifications can include changes designed to improve safety and accessibility.

AT-HM has separate funding tiers:

What If You Previously Had a Home Care Package?

If you received a Home Care Package before Support at Home began, transitional arrangements apply.

The Home Care Packages Program transitioned to Support at Home on 1 November 2025.

Transitioned participants have ongoing funding arrangements linked to their previous Home Care Package level unless their circumstances change and they are reassessed.

Some participants may also have unspent Commonwealth Home Care Package funds.

These funds can continue to be used for eligible services under the Support at Home rules.

Special participant contribution protections may also apply to people covered by the Australian Government's no worse off principle.



If you transitioned from a Home Care Package, speak with your provider about the arrangements that apply specifically to you.

How Can FOCUS Connect Help?

Navigating My Aged Care and Support at Home can feel complicated, particularly when you are organising care for the first time.

FOCUS Connect is an approved My Aged Care provider delivering Support at Home services across Macarthur, South West Sydney and Northern Sydney suburbs.

Depending on your assessment, approved support plan and available funding, FOCUS Connect can help you access or coordinate services that support your health, independence and everyday life.

We can help you:

• understand your Support at Home approval
• turn your support plan into practical services
• plan services around your available budget
• coordinate your care
• organise appropriate clinical, independence and everyday living supports
• review your services when your circumstances change
• support your cultural, language and personal preferences.

Our goal is to help you receive support that works around your life while helping you remain safe, connected and independent at home.