How to access aged care support with or without government funding

Key takeaways

• Aged care support can be accessed with or without government funding.
• The government-funded pathway starts with an assessment through My Aged Care and usually involves a wait.
• Self-funded support through Mable can be arranged immediately, without a referral or joining a waitlist.
• If you’re approved for government funding, self-managing through HomeMade, which is part of the same group of companies as Mable, may help you get more value from your funding.
• Both funding pathways can be used together. You may choose self-funded support while you wait for government funding, then continue using this support if your approved budget doesn’t cover everything you need.

Understanding how to access aged care support can feel like a big task. There are new terms to understand, steps to follow and decisions to make, often at a time when support is already needed at home.

This guide may help. It explains who funds aged care in Australia, as well as the two main pathways to accessing aged care support. These are either applying for government funding through My Aged Care, or paying privately through a platform like Mable. It also covers how you can use both pathways at different stages.

Whether you’re applying for government funding, waiting for support to begin, or choosing to arrange care privately, this guide can help you understand your options and decide what feels right for you or the person you support.

How does government funding for aged care work?

If you’re wondering who funds aged care in Australia, the answer depends on the type of support. Some aged care support is funded by the Australian Government, with the older person contributing to some services depending on their circumstances. Other support can be paid for privately by the older person or their family.

For in-home aged care, the main government-funded pathway is the Support at Home Program. This program replaced the Home Care Packages Program from 1 November 2025.

Here are some things you may need to know about Support at Home:

Accessing Support at Home

You first apply through My Aged Care to access Support at Home. You may do this yourself, or a family representative, doctor or hospital team may help you get started. An aged care assessor then meets with you to understand your needs, goals and what support may help you live safely and independently at home.

Getting assessed

An aged care assessor will schedule a time to assess your support needs. Assessments are completed through the Single Assessment System, using the Integrated Assessment Tool (IAT). This tool helps assessors work out whether you’re eligible for government-funded aged care and what level of support may be needed.

You’ll also be placed in a priority category, which also affects how quickly funding is allocated. Priority categories include urgent, high, medium and standard. Current wait times vary by priority category and demand, so some people may receive funding sooner than others.

Funding approval

If you’re approved for ongoing Support at Home funding, you’ll be assigned one of 8 classification levels. These levels reflect different support needs, with annual budgets ranging from about $11,000 to about $80,000, based on current indexed amounts.

If there’s a delay in receiving your full funding, you may receive interim funding. This is 60% of your total funding budget and is designed to help you access the most important services first. The remaining 40% is allocated when it becomes available.

Finding support

Once your funding is allocated, you choose a Support at Home provider and work with them to put your care plan in place. For ongoing services, 10% of your quarterly budget is allocated for care management by the government.

Self-managing your support

One way to get more value from your Support at Home budget may be choosing to self-manage. This is when you manage your approved budget with support from a provider, who helps with administration, compliance and payments.

Self-management generally gives you more choice and control over how your funding is used, with more of your budget going towards your actual care and support.

For Mable community members who are approved for government funding and want to self-manage, HomeMade can help. HomeMade is part of the same group as Mable and supports older Australians to self-manage their aged care funding with guidance, tools and access to service providers.

What options are available if you’re waiting for funding or aren’t eligible?

It can be frustrating waiting for an assessment or for funding to be allocated, or to find out you’re not eligible for government-funded support. It can feel even harder when the need for help at home is real and immediate.

Privately paying for aged care services, or self-funding, can be a way to help you get the support you need sooner. Through Mable, some support sessions can be booked in as little as 4 hours.

Self-funded care through Mable means you or your family pay directly for the support you arrange. With self-funded support, you can:

• Choose your independent support workers
• Discuss the support you need
• Agree on the rate before support begins
• Avoid the need for a referral or aged care assessment, or joining a waitlist.

Pricing through Mable is transparent from the start. When you browse independent support worker profiles, you can review their indicative rates and understand potential costs before contacting them. On Mable, independent support workers set their own rates, which vary based on experience, qualifications, and service complexity. Mable charges a client platform fee of 7.95% on top of the agreed support worker rate.

You can also use self-funded support through Mable to complement government-funded support. Some people do this while they’re waiting for funding, while others use it to cover extra hours, specific tasks or gaps in their government-approved budget.

What support can you access through Mable privately?

Through Mable, privately paying clients can access a wide range of aged care support. The services available depend on the skills, experience and qualifications of the independent support workers you choose.

Here are some aged care services you can access through Mable:

Social support and domestic assistance

Support workers in this support category can help with everyday tasks. This may make homelife feel more manageable and allow you to stay independent.

Social support and domestic assistance independent support workers don’t require clinical qualifications on Mable. They offer support with:

• Cleaning and laundry
• Meal preparation
• Grocery shopping
• Gardening
• Transport
• Companionship
• Support to attend appointments or community activities.

Personal care

Support workers can assist with daily personal tasks which may help you feel more comfortable and confident at home.

Personal care independent support workers booked through Mable must hold relevant qualifications, which are verified by Mable.

Personal care at home can include support with:

• Bathing
• Dressing
• Grooming
• Toileting
• Mobility
• Hoist and transfer support
• Mealtime assistance.

Clinical support

You may have an ongoing health condition, or need short-term support to help with recovery after a hospital stay, illness or injury. Private in-home nursing care can be helpful in these situations.

All registered or enrolled nurses on Mable must hold current Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) registration, and Mable verifies this before nurses can offer support on the platform.

Nursing care at home can include:

• Vital signs monitoring, such as blood pressure checks
• Continence assessment and management
• Medication management
• Wound care
• Catheter care
• Respiratory care
• Post-hospital care.

Allied health support

Allied health professionals may help you or the person you support build strength, improve mobility, manage daily tasks or work towards recovery and wellbeing goals at home.

On Mable, allied health professionals must hold relevant qualifications, which Mable verifies before they can provide services through the platform.

Allied health support at home can include:

• Physiotherapy
• Occupational therapy
• Speech pathology
• Psychology
• Exercise physiology
• Podiatry
• Dietetics.

How does the Mable platform work for private clients?

Mable is designed to give older Australians and their representatives more choice and control when arranging private aged care support.

• Signing up is free. Once you have an account, you can browse independent support worker profiles, post a job or directly contact workers who may be a good match for your needs.
• Support worker profiles include information such as qualifications, experience, reviews, interests and indicative rates. This can help you get a better understanding of costs before booking. There are also no set rates on Mable, and independent support workers set their own rates, which vary based on experience, qualifications, and service complexity. You and the independent support worker agree on the rate before support begins.
• Communication happens through secure messaging on the Mable platform. This gives you a place to ask questions, discuss availability and talk through the kind of support you need before making a booking. Many independent support workers also offer a free meet and greet. This can be valuable as it gives you and your family a chance to understand whether the worker feels like the right fit before the first paid support session.
• Payments are managed through your Mable account by credit or debit card. Support sessions are tracked and invoiced through the platform, making it easier to keep records in one place.
• You choose who comes into your home and when. This can be reassuring if you value familiarity, routine and having the chance to build trust with the people providing your support.

What are the next steps for accessing aged care support?

While it may seem overwhelming, accessing aged care support can feel easier when you understand the different pathways available. You may choose one pathway or use both. What matters is finding support that suits your needs, preferences and timing.

If you’re following the government-funded support pathway, the first step is to apply through My Aged Care and complete an assessment. If your funding is approved, self-managing your Support at Home budget through HomeMade, which is part of the same group of companies as Mable, may give you more choice and control over how your care is arranged.

Explore the benefits of self-management through HomeMade.

If you need support now, or you prefer to pay privately, Mable makes it straightforward to find independent support workers without waiting for government funding. To arrange self-funded aged care support, sign up to Mable for free and start browsing independent support workers in your area.