Private aged care support worker costs explained

Key takeaways

• Self-funded aged care means arranging and paying for aged care support directly using personal funds.
• Through Mable, private aged care support is available without a referral, an aged care assessment or joining a government waitlist.
• Private aged care support worker rates are agreed directly with independent support workers through Mable and on average you pay less per hour with Mable, compared with traditional providers.
• Self-funded care may cover gaps if government-funded support isn’t enough, or it can be used as the main support pathway.
• Through the Mable platform, you can manage aged care support session scheduling, payments and communication in one place.

In Australia, there are different ways to access aged care funding. Some people are eligible for government programs, such as Support at Home, while others choose not to wait for government funding, especially when support is needed quickly. Instead, they may decide to pay privately for aged care support.

In this article, we look at private aged care costs and how they work. This may help you decide whether self-funded aged care is right for you, or the person you care for.

What is self-funded aged care?

Self-funded care means arranging and paying for aged care support directly using personal funds, rather than using government funding or subsidies. It’s also sometimes called paying privately.

Self-funded aged care support can include a wide range of in-home services, from help around the home and personal care to transport.

This type of care is available to anyone, regardless of age or eligibility. It can also be arranged alongside government-funded care.

Paying privately can become important because government-funded aged care involves an income and assets assessment. How much you contribute to your care depends on this assessment and the type of services approved in your care plan. This may leave a gap between the support you need and the funding you receive.

Other situations where paying privately for aged care can be a valuable option include:

• You're not approved for Support at Home funding
• You’re still waiting for Support at Home funding to be allocated
• You prefer to have more choice, flexibility and control over who provides your support.

Why choose private support over a traditional provider?

Self-funded aged care, arranged through an online platform like Mable, can give you or your family more say over how support is arranged. Here are 4 key advantages of this model:

1. Faster access to support

With private support, you don’t need to wait for a government assessment, referral or funding allocation to receive care. Through Mable, you can sign up for free, explore local independent support worker profiles and contact them to find out more about their services. Mable also offers last-minute support, with support sessions available to book in as little as 4 hours.

2. Choice and consistency

Through Mable, you choose who comes into your home and when. You can explore independent support worker profiles, including their qualifications, reviews and indicative rates, before contacting them or booking a session. You can also agree on support hours, services and rates directly with the independent support worker.

This may be especially helpful if you value routine and familiarity. Instead of working with a roster of unfamiliar people, you may choose to work with the same support workers over time and build a genuine relationship.

3. Transparent costs

With traditional providers, costs may include care management, package administration and other fees that are not always easy to separate from the hourly cost of support.

Through Mable, rates are discussed and agreed upfront between the client and the independent support worker. Mable’s client platform fee is 7.95% on top of the agreed rate.

4. Flexibility as needs change

Self-funded care can be arranged for as many or as few hours as needed. You may start with a few hours of help each week, then increase support if you aren’t well, when family representatives are away, or after a hospital stay. You can also adjust support as your care needs change, without being locked into a contract with a traditional provider.

What can a private aged care support worker help with?

A private aged care support worker can provide many different types of services, depending on their skills, experience and qualifications. Through Mable, self-funded aged care services include:

Social support and domestic assistance

This type of support may help you manage daily tasks at home to keep it running smoothly. It can also help keep you connected to your community.

Independent support workers booked through Mable don’t require clinical qualifications to offer these services and can help with:

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

Personal care

This type of support can feel very personal so having consistent independent support workers may help you feel more comfortable.

Independent support workers who provide personal care through Mable must hold relevant qualifications, which are verified by Mable.

Personal care supports through Mable includes:

• Bathing
• Dressing
• Grooming
• Toileting
• Mobility
• Transfers
• Mealtime assistance.

Clinical support

If you have an ongoing health condition, or need short-term support to help with recovery after a hospital stay, private in-home nursing care may help you access qualified medical support in the comfort of your home.

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
• Respiratory care
• Catheter care
• Post-hospital care.

What does self-funded aged care cost?

Aged care costs for self-funded retirees can vary depending on the type of support needed, the independent support worker’s experience and qualifications and service complexity.

If you use ongoing Support at Home funding, your costs may include contributions based on your income and assets, as well as the type of services you receive. 10% of your quarterly budget is allocated for care management by the government.

If you pay privately through Mable, the cost structure is different. You agree on the hourly rate directly with the independent support worker before support begins. Mable then charges a client platform fee of 7.95% on top of the agreed rate.

How does the Mable platform work for private paying clients?

If you choose to pay privately, you can use Mable as the main pathway to arrange aged care support. This may suit you if you don't qualify for government-funded support, don’t want to wait for it, or prefer to choose and manage your support directly.

If you’re waiting for Support at Home funding, paying privately through Mable can also act as a bridge. You can start self-funding your support services while your application is being processed and then transition to funded support, or continue to pay privately to supplement what your funding covers.

Whether you’re arranging self-funded aged care support for yourself or helping someone else, getting started with Mable is designed to be simple. These are the 3 steps involved:

Step 1: Connect

Create a free account and post a job for the support you need, or browse local support worker profiles using more than 70 search filters to find independent support workers with the right skills and experience.

Mable also has safeguards in place to help protect clients and support workers. Independent support workers must complete verification checks for their identity, qualifications and support worker screening status before they can offer services through Mable. Insurance is included with every support session booked and invoiced through Mable.

Step 2: Book

Once you’ve found an independent support worker who may be the right fit, you can discuss and agree on rates and support session times. You may also choose to arrange a meet and greet before booking to ask questions and understand their support style.

Step 3: Manage ongoing support

You can schedule support sessions and make payments by credit or debit card, or government funding where eligible, all in one place.

Finding a private aged care support worker

Paying privately for aged care can be about more than cost. It’s about getting the right support in place without feeling like a case number in a system.

With self-funded care, you can choose who provides support, when support happens and how much you pay. Through Mable, you can explore verified independent support workers, agree on rates upfront and manage bookings and payments in one place.

Sign up to Mable for free and browse available independent aged care support workers in your area today. If you need more guidance about getting started, you can contact Mable’s support team.