What is a Home Care Package?

A Home Care Package is an ongoing, government-subsidised budget that pays for care and services so an older Australian can keep living in their own home. It is not a single service and it is not cash paid into a bank account. It is a coordinated pool of funding, set at a level that matches assessed need, which is spent on agreed services through a provider the person chooses.

This guide explains how it works in practice: what the funding can and cannot pay for, what your provider does for the money, and where self-management fits.

One thing to note first. From 1 November 2025 the Home Care Package program was replaced by Support at Home, which keeps the same basic idea of a person-centred budget for ongoing in-home care while restructuring the funding. Almost everyone still says "home care package", so this guide uses the familiar phrase. Because the transition is being rolled out in stages, treat My Aged Care on 1800 200 422 as the authority on current detail and this guide as the shape of how the pieces fit together.

What the funding actually is

The model is a budget, not a service. Rather than the government deciding which services you get and sending someone out, you are assigned an amount of funding, and you and your provider agree a care plan that decides how it is spent.

Three features define it:

• It is ongoing. A package is not a one-off grant or a short course of help after hospital. It is continuing funding that stays in place while the need does.
• It is assigned at a level. Assessment determines how much support a person needs, and a corresponding funding classification is attached. The old program had four package levels, from basic through to high care needs; Support at Home replaces those with a wider set of classifications spanning lower, moderate and higher need. How many classifications there are, and the amount attached to each, is set by government and indexed over time, so check My Aged Care for the current position rather than any figure published elsewhere.
• It is coordinated. Someone is responsible for organising the services, checking the workers are qualified and screened, and making sure the plan still fits. That is the provider's job, and part of the budget pays for it.

The person who holds a package is not just a recipient of services: they choose the provider, agree what the money buys, and can change their mind as needs shift.

What a package can pay for

The breadth surprises people. Within an agreed care plan, funding commonly covers:

• Personal care. Help with showering, dressing, grooming, toileting and mobility.
• Nursing. Wound care, medication management, continence support, and monitoring of chronic conditions at home.
• Allied health and therapy. Physiotherapy, occupational therapy, podiatry, dietetics and speech pathology.
• Household help and meals. Cleaning, laundry, light maintenance, shopping and meal preparation.
• Transport and social support. Getting to appointments and shopping, plus a worker to keep company or help someone get out into the community.
• Equipment and small modifications. Assistive technology such as walking frames or shower chairs, and changes like grab rails and ramps. See our guide to home modifications.
• Care management. The coordination work itself.

The mix is worked out with the provider, written into a care plan, and changed as circumstances change.

What it cannot pay for

The rule of thumb is that the funding pays for care, not for the ordinary costs of living that everyone has. It generally cannot be used for:

• rent, mortgage payments, rates or ordinary household bills;
• everyday groceries (help preparing meals is care; the food itself is not);
• holidays, entertainment, or gambling;
• fees for permanent residential aged care;
• care and treatment the health system covers, such as GP visits, hospital care and medicines through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.

The reason matters more than the list: funding is meant to meet assessed care needs, so anything that is really a normal living expense, or that another part of the system already pays for, sits outside it. If you are unsure, ask the provider before you commit; they have to justify the spending too.

What the provider does, and who your main contact is

Choosing a provider is the decision with the biggest day-to-day consequences, because the provider organises nearly everything: employing or contracting the workers who come to the house, checking their qualifications and police screening, handling rostering and replacements, managing the reporting, and giving you a statement showing how the budget is being used. They are accountable for quality and regulated accordingly.

You should also have a named person who knows your situation, commonly called a care partner or care manager. That person works out the care plan with you, reviews it as things change, and is who you contact when something is not working. Ask who it will be, and how quickly they respond, before you sign. A good care partner is the difference between a package that adapts and one that quietly stays the same while needs move on.

Providers charge fees against the budget for care management and administration, so those fees directly affect how much care the funding buys. Ask for them in writing and compare. Our guide to aged care fees covers how your own contribution is worked out separately, through a means assessment by Services Australia.

Self-management: how much control do you want?

Not everyone wants their provider making every arrangement. Options sit on a spectrum:

• Provider-managed. The provider organises everything and you approve the plan. Simplest, and what most people choose.
• Partly self-managed. You take on some decisions, typically choosing particular workers or services, while the provider keeps the administration and compliance.
• Self-managed. You take a much larger role in choosing and arranging who comes and when, within the rules, with the provider still holding the funding and the compliance obligations.

More control usually means lower administration costs and a closer match to what you want, and more work for you or a family member. It suits people who are organised and have the time, or who have someone who does. Ask each provider what they actually offer, because arrangements vary.

How to get one

In brief: everything starts with My Aged Care on 1800 200 422 or myagedcare.gov.au, an assessor confirms the level of need, and once funding is assigned you choose a provider and agree a care plan.

Our guide to who is eligible for a Home Care Package covers the age, care need and residency tests. If you are weighing up whether you need an ongoing budget or something lighter, home care package vs CHSP compares the two pathways. When you are ready to compare organisations, browse verified home care providers on Our Mate.

Frequently asked questions

Is a Home Care Package the same as Support at Home?

Effectively yes, as the current version of the same idea. Home care packages were replaced by Support at Home from 1 November 2025, which keeps the person-centred budget model but restructures the funding classifications. People who already had a package generally moved across under transition arrangements. My Aged Care on 1800 200 422 can confirm what applies to you now.

Do I get the money paid to me?

No. The funding is held and administered by the provider you choose, and spent on agreed services in your care plan. You should receive a regular statement showing what has been spent and what remains. Even under self-managed arrangements the provider still holds the funds and carries the compliance obligations.

Can I use the funding for anything I want?

No. It has to go towards the care needs identified in your assessment and care plan. Ordinary living costs such as rent, bills, groceries, holidays and entertainment are excluded, as are things the health system already covers. If you are unsure about a particular item, ask your provider or care partner before committing to it.

Can I change providers if I am not happy?

Yes. You can move to a different provider, and your funding moves with you. There is a process involving notice periods set out in your service agreement, and it is usually wise to line up the new provider before leaving the old one so there is no gap in care. If you are having trouble, contact My Aged Care.

What if my needs increase?

Ask for a reassessment. You do not have to wait for a scheduled review. If your situation changes, for example after a fall, a hospital stay or a new diagnosis, tell your provider and contact My Aged Care. Speak up early rather than waiting for a crisis, because the reassessment and any change in funding both take time.

Where to next

A Home Care Package, or a Support at Home budget by its current name, exists to buy time at home: to keep someone in the house they know, doing what they can for themselves, with paid help filling the gaps. The two things that decide how well it works are the level of funding assigned and the provider who administers it. The first is the assessor's call. The second is yours, so take your time over it.

This is general information, not advice; for your situation, contact My Aged Care on 1800 200 422 or visit myagedcare.gov.au.