How to encourage your parents to accept aged care support

Convincing your parents or loved ones they might need support with daily living tasks can be challenging, but it shouldn’t need to be. With the right approach, it can be an opportunity to talk to your parents about how to maintain their independence for longer.

Five things to consider when discussing support with your ageing parents

1. Seek a second opinion

For many ageing parents, role reversal can be difficult to accept as adult children take on caregiver responsibilities. Finding support for your parents can initially involve a visit from a member of the Aged Care Assessment Team (ACAT). This removes personal biases and can get the ball rolling on a government funding application.

2. Allow your parents to take control

Invite your parents to take control by asking them to browse the profiles of independent support workers in their local neighbourhood. They can select support workers themselves, start a conversation and together, decide what services will be provided and when, and what hourly rate will be charged. This can all be done in the comfort of their home.

3. Start small and start early

Most people don’t consider aged care until there’s a crisis, such as a fall or failing health.

Introduce the idea of proactively getting support in small increments, such as engaging someone to help with housework, then assistance with shopping or gardening. Once your parent has someone familiar in their home providing regular support, increasing the hours will be easier.

4. Consider positioning

You may be interested in an article about five things that can help people maintain independence for longer. Frame the discussion with your parents so engaging an independent support worker becomes about enabling your parents to continue living independently.

5. Accept your limitations

Another important article explores the importance of dignity of risk and an individual’s right to make decisions about their life. As much as we may know our parents need support, it can’t be forced on them.

Start the conversation

‘It’s important you follow a lifestyle of your choosing’

Most older Australians want nothing more than to live independently at home for as long as possible. Remind them they can still live a lifestyle of their choosing while receiving necessary support.

‘Do you think you’d benefit from an extra hand around the house and garden?’

A good time to ask this question is while you’re observing any difficulties they’re having.

‘We can work together to find you the right support’

Remind your loved one they’re not alone in connecting with support and that they can be in charge, that you’re here to help and you can completely organise their supports if they’d prefer.

‘Your funding gives you access to so many support options – let’s discuss which would suit you’

If your loved one receives financial support through a Home Care Package or the Commonwealth Home Support Programme, let them know their funding can be used in many ways. Support options can be tailored to them.

Find out more about how Mable works.

How to access aged care funding in Australia

Through aged care funding, you may be able to get access to services and support that are subsidised by the Australian Government. These services and support could include help with transport, housework, personal care as well as specialised long-term/short-term accommodation, such as nursing homes.

Find out more about aged care and whether you need it.

The first step to accessing funding is to meet the eligibility criteria. The government funds both home care and residential aged care (or nursing homes). Once you are eligible for either, the funding is paid to the ‘approved provider’ you choose, and you can start accessing the services set out during your assessment.

In both cases — home care and residential aged care — the individual may need to pay a contribution too.

Find out more about Support At Home fees and charges.

Do you need aged care support?

If you’re over the age of 65, or an Indigenous Australian over the age of 50, and you’re not managing things as well as you used to, aged care support services could make a big difference to your life by helping you stay healthy and mobile, keep your home liveable (i.e. modifications to your home to help you live independently), remain active and stay connected to your community, or get personal care if you’re recovering from illness or a fall.

Home-based aged care programs in Australia

Funding for home-based aged care in Australia falls into two government-subsidised aged care programs, each catering for a different level of support. These are called the Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP) which provides lower-level supports, and the Support At Home program which provides support for higher needs. Learn more about each of the home-based support programs below.

Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP)

CHSP provides support for people needing just a few basic services to help them live independently in their own home. It doesn’t suit people with more complex support needs.

Under the CHSP, you can access help for services such as meal preparation, transport, nursing care, etc. Find out more about the support you can get through CHSP.

To be eligible for the CHSP, you need to be aged 65 years and over, or 50 years and over if you’re an Indigenous Australian. However, if you’re on a low income, homeless or at risk of being homeless, that age requirement is reduced to 50 years, or 45 years if you identify as an Indigenous Australian. You will also need to undergo an assessment to determine eligibility and the level of support you need. You can apply online or by calling 1800 200 422.

Once you have met the eligibility requirements, you need to find a service provider, an organisation that delivers care and services to you at a subsidised price. CHSP will continue to operate until it transitions to the Support at Home program, no earlier than 1 July 2027.

Support at Home

The Support at Home program is designed for older Australians who need support to live independently at home. Starting from 1 November 2025, it replaces the Home Care Packages (HCP) Program and Short-Term Restorative Care (STRC) Programme. To access Support at Home, the first step is to undergo an aged care assessment using the new Single Assessment System with the Integrated Assessment Tool (IAT). If the assessment finds that your support needs meet the eligibility for the program, you will be eligible.

The eligibility requirements for Support at Home are that you are aged 65 years or older (50 years or older if you identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander), living at home and need help to maintain your independence and continue doing the things you enjoy.

Once you have been approved for Support at Home at the appropriate classification level, you will be allocated funding through the Support at Home Priority System. This system assigns a priority rating (urgent, high, medium, or standard) based on your needs, with higher priority levels receiving funding more quickly. The government aims to reduce average waiting times to around 3 months. If there’s high demand, recipients may receive an interim allocation (up to 60%) of their Support at Home budget while waiting for full funding.

Your assessment will result in a Notice of Decision with an individual support plan that outlines your classification, quarterly budget, and approved services. You can then choose a Support at Home provider to work with. While waiting for your funding to be allocated, you can start searching for a provider and decide how you want to manage your funding, including whether you want to self-manage your Support at Home.

Once your funding is available, you can contact your provider to start the sign-on process. You’ll work with them to implement your care plan and decide how to use your budget. Your provider will coordinate and manage those services for you, with care management fees capped at 10%. Support at Home offers 8 classification levels with annual budgets ranging from approximately $11,000 to $78,000, split into quarterly allocations. You can carry over up to $1,000 or 10% of your quarterly budget between quarters to meet unplanned needs.

Residential aged care

This type of aged care support may be the best option for older people who have more intensive healthcare and personal care needs that mean they aren’t able to live in their own home. In residential aged care, you don’t have to give up your needs and interests regarding social and emotional support either. That’s part of the deal. Residential aged care is also available for those who need short-term care, for example, respite care, to give family member carers some time out.

As with all forms of aged care, the Commonwealth government funds residential aged care for all eligible people aged 65 plus (or 50 years and over for Indigenous Australians). To find out whether you’re eligible, you’ll need to apply for an aged care assessment. Regardless of your eligibility, you’ll pay the residential home a basic daily fee. Above that, the costs you’ll pay will depend on your financial situation.

You can find out more about costs, or apply for subsidised residential aged care.

FAQs

The aged care system ensures all Australians can get the support they need to stay safe, healthy and independent as they grow older.

Broadly speaking, seniors aged 65 years and over, or Indigenous Australians aged 50 years and over, who are assessed as eligible for aged care services.

The Support at Home program, Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP), and residential aged care.

You’re on a waitlist for a Home Care Package – now what?

From 1 November 2025, the Support at Home program replaced the Home Care Package program. Rules that apply under Support at Home may be different to those that applied to the Home Care Package program mentioned in this article. To learn more about the Support at Home program, visit our Topic Library or the official Support at Home website.

Congratulations! You have met the eligibility requirements of a Home Care Package (HCP) to secure a spot on the HCP waiting list.

Typically, there is a long wait for approvals for the packages – as long as six months to a year, depending on the package level approved.

As of 31 December 2022, 235,599 people had access to a HCP, with 40% of those receiving a Level 2 package.

The HCP program provides funding at four levels of care, ranging from low-level care needs (Level 1) to high-level care needs (Level 4). The services provided under the packages are tailored to the individual’s needs. Find out more about the different levels of a HCP.

In the interim, you may be eligible for entry-level support services to live independently and safely at home, through the Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP). Alternatively, you can connect with independent support workers through Mable and pay privately till you receive your allocated HCP.

Find out below what options are available to you as you wait for your HCP to kick in.

What to do while you wait for your Home Care Package

Pay privately for support through Mable

If you’re currently in the queue for a HCP, paying privately for your support may be an inevitable option, but it doesn’t have to be expensive. Even without a package, people looking for aged care support services can connect directly with a variety of independent support workers on the Mable platform.

Through Mable, you can connect with independent support workers who are experienced in aged care and dementia support and negotiate directly with them to choose when and where you want to receive support, and how much you want to pay for it. There are rigorous checks in place to ensure they are only permitted to provide support once they are approved under the strict processes followed by Mable. Find out what safeguards Mable has in place.

Given that you’re likely to be paying out of pocket while you’re waiting for your HCP to become available, it’s important to make sure your money is going a long way. Want to compare home care package costs with private costs? Explore this article on HCP fees and charges.

When your HCP funding becomes available and you’ve found an Approved Provider to host your package, you can simply let Mable know by updating your account and payment details.

The platform is designed to provide clients with as much choice, personalisation and independence as possible by allowing clients to post jobs, select their preferred support workers and negotiate payments.

Find a Home Care Package provider

You don’t have to wait till you receive your funding to find a HCP provider. You can start looking for a HCP provider any time you like, even before you are approved for a HCP. That way, you have plenty of time to learn about how they operate and compare the costs. When your package is approved, you’ll be ready to sign up and begin.

Find out how to choose a HCP provider, what questions to ask them and how you can self-manage your HCP through your existing provider.

How mable clients self-manage their aged care support needs

Two Mable clients, Isabel and Manuel, both receive HCP funding and self-manage their support. Before signing up to Mable, they had been cared for by more than 100 different support workers through a previous provider. Today, they get 37 hours of support a week from a team of four independent support workers they connected with via Mable.

Satish is a privately paying aged care client who uses the Mable platform. He chose to bypass the year-long delay that came with waiting for a HCP and utilised a traditional provider for his support needs. As he was paying privately, the bills started to add up with Satish’s service provider. He soon discovered Mable could meet his support needs at a much lower cost and he could build a support team around him.

Mable gave Satish the independence to choose his own workers and nursing staff and the opportunity to build lasting relationships with his dedicated support workers.

Privately paying for your support means you can enjoy the autonomy (your choice and control) that some service providers may not offer. If you’re looking for an alternative support option while you wait for your HCP, or if you’re considering a different support system, Mable’s flexibility and affordability can help you regain your independence.

FAQs

The basic daily fee, payable by you, gets added to the government subsidy to boost the funds available in your HCP budget. Not all providers will ask you to pay the basic daily fee but it will mean you have less funds in your budget to pay for the services you need. It’s important that when deciding on a provider, you are satisfied with whether you pay or don’t pay the basic daily fee. Learn more about HCP fees and charges.

Simply put, there are more Australians than ever who want to explore the option of living at home for as long as possible, which has led to a sharp increase in the demand for HCPs. The development, exacerbated by acute workforce shortages and complexities in the way the HCP program funding works, is causing delay in HCPs being released. However, the government released 40,000 packages in 2021-22, and plans to release another 40,000 packages over 2022-23, which will hopefully shorten wait times.

Unfortunately, no. With current and upcoming reforms to the aged care sector, it’s hoped that the wait times for a HCP will be reduced, but there’s no way for an applicant to speed up the process.

What you can do, in the meantime, is start searching for a home care service provider, so that when you’re allocated a HCP, you can begin using your funding right away.

Am I eligible for a Home Care Package?

From 1 November 2025, the Support at Home program replaced the Home Care Package program. Rules that apply under Support at Home may be different to those that applied to the Home Care Package program mentioned in this article. To learn more about the Support at Home program, visit our Topic Library or the official Support at Home website.

The Home Care Package program aims to provide support to older people with complex needs so they can remain living in their home. However, in order to receive the support they need, they must be eligible for the program.

What is a Home Care Package?

A Home Care Package (HCP) is funding provided by the federal government that helps support older Australians to live independently for longer in their own homes. There are four levels of Home Care Package, and an individual is assessed for their eligibility for the appropriate level, based on their needs and capabilities.

A Level 1 Home Care Package provides for basic care needs at $9,026.45 per year, Level 2 provides for low care needs at $15,877.50 per year, Level 3 provides for intermediate care needs at $34,550.90 per year and Level 4 provides for high care needs at $52,377.50 per year. Find out more about the different levels of Home Care Package available.

As a recipient of a Home Care Package, you don’t receive the money directly in hand. Rather, it is administered by an HCP provider, who pays for the services you would receive out of your package.

Do you need a Home Care Package?

If you find that you are struggling with everyday tasks such as bathing, hygiene and grooming, preparing meals, light housework, laundry, and getting to and from appointments, a Home Care Package may be for you.

Your needs may be more comprehensive, such as requiring nursing care, podiatry, physiotherapy and other services that help with movement and mobility.

Perhaps you have mobility challenges such as you can no longer walk independently around your home. You may be experiencing difficulties with continence or find that you can’t shower yourself safely anymore because of a risk of falling or slipping.

These are all challenges that will be taken into account when being assessed for eligibility for a Home Care Package.

Who is eligible for a Home Care Package?

You may be eligible for a Home Care Package if you are aged 65 years or older (50 years or older if you identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander), living at home and need assistance to do the things you used to be able to do yourself.

To check whether you’re eligible and get started with your application , you first need to register with MyAgedCare, either over the phone or online. You can contact My Aged Care directly, or have a family member or other trusted person do so on your behalf. To find out if you are eligible, the first step is to check if you meet the requirements for an assessment.

The Assessment eligibility checker on the My Aged Care website is a handy tool to check if you’re eligible for an assessment.

Once it’s clear that you are eligible for assessment, an ACAT assessment will be conducted by the Aged Care Assessment Team. An ACAT assessor — likely a nurse, social worker or healthcare professional — will typically visit your home to carry out the assessment. Ensure that you are prepared for the assessment.

After an ACAT assessment, if the assessor deems you eligible for a Home Care Package, you should receive an approval letter from ACAT. If not, you will receive information about why you are ineligible. If you have had a comprehensive assessment and disagree with the decision, you can request a review from ACAT.

You can still find support via Mable if you’re ineligible, by paying privately.

Find out in more detail how to access a Home Care Package.

What if I’m not eligible for a Home Care Package?

If you’ve been deemed ineligible for a government Home Care Package at this stage, but you still feel you need support to go about your everyday life, you can connect with an independent support worker via the Mable website who can give you some assistance at home, take you to appointments or to social outings, help with light housework, and even travel with you.

Without a Home Care Package, you simply pay privately for the support you receive. With Mable, you have the freedom to negotiate the payment rate directly with your support worker, thus choosing what you want to pay, what services you want and when you want them.

FAQs

As of 31 December 2021, 217,724 people had access to a Home Care Package.

You might have to contribute to the cost of your care. Your contribution is made up of three types of fees:

  • Basic daily fee

Your provider may ask you to pay a basic daily fee based on your Home Care Package level.

  • Income-tested care fee

Some people may also have to pay an income-tested care fee. Whether you pay it, and how much of it you pay, is determined through a formal income assessment from the Services Australia. If you have to pay this fee, there are annual and lifetime limits on how much you can be asked to pay.

  • Additional fees

Any other amount you have agreed to pay for extra care and services that wouldn’t otherwise be covered by your Home Care Package.

Find out more about Home Care Package fees and charges.

If you haven’t already applied or begun receiving a Home Care Package, you can do so by accessing the MyAgedCare site. From the My Aged Care site, you can organise to be assessed by the Aged Care Assessment Team (ACAT) who will determine which level of home care package you may need.

Home care packages are allocated according to needs priority. A higher priority applicant will receive their HCP sooner. Once the Home Care Package level is determined, a medium priority individual may expect to wait 3-6 months for a Level 1 package and 6-9 months for Levels 2, 3 and 4.

It’s highly recommended that when you first start to feel like you need support, you begin the application process. In the meantime, you can pay privately for support by connecting with Independent Support Workers via Mable.

Sign up to Mable

I want to find support:

For myself, a client or on behalf of a friend or family member.

I want to provide support:

As a support worker, nurse, allied health professional, gardener or cleaner.

Sign up to Mable

I want to find support:

For myself, a client or on behalf of a friend or family member.

I want to provide support:

As a support worker, nurse, allied health professional, gardener or cleaner.