Accessing aged care support services with My Aged Care

Discover how to access support services on Mable and remain living independently in your own home for longer.

Two people throwing clay in a studio.
client mold, support worker observes

What is My Aged Care?

My Aged Care is the starting point for anyone looking to access government-funded aged care services, whether for themselves or on behalf of a loved one. 

Elderly man plays chess with caregiver

Who is eligible for My Aged Care?

My Aged Care is available for people over 65 years of age (or Indigenous Australians aged 50+) who need extra support to continue living well.

Depending on your eligibility, the government might fund your needs partially or entirely.

You can check your eligibility on My Aged Care or apply for an assessment.

How to access funding

To access government funding, you’ll need to complete an assessment through My Aged Care.

First, you need to apply for an assessment with My Aged Care online or phone 1800 200 422 to speak to someone at My Aged Care.

An assessor will visit your home to determine which aged care services you could benefit from.

Waiting for funding to be approved? Pay privately on Mable

What type of support is available?

Aged care support and services fall into three categories. All of these types of care are acceptable as reasons to apply for funding through My Aged Care.

Care in your own home

This aims to help you stay independent at home as you age. It includes services such as transport, personal and health care, housework, social support and modifications to your home. Help at home can be accessed through the Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP) or a Home Care Package (HCP).

Care in an residential aged care facility

If you’re unable to manage in your own home, and need ongoing help with everyday tasks or health care. Learn more about the differences between home care and residential aged care.

Short-term care (in your home or elsewhere)

If you need more intensive care following a hospital stay, or your loved ones need a short break from caring for you, short-term care could include support for a few hours, days or up to 12 weeks.

What are the steps involved with My Aged Care?

Support worker prunes plant in garden while chatting to their older client sitting on garden wall.
  1. Explore what kind of care is available
    Review the three categories of care available.
  2. Get assessed for your aged care needs
    Apply for an assessment online or phone 1800 200 422 to speak to someone at My Aged Care.
  3. Find a support provider
    Choose a Home Care Package provider. My Aged Care has a Find a Provider tool.
  4. Manage your services
    To have more control over how you spend your funding you can self-manage your HCP with a provider such as HomeMade.
Support worker prunes plant in garden while chatting to their older client sitting on garden wall.

Explore your My Aged Care eligibility as soon as possible

As an older Australian, you may very well be entitled to My Aged Care funding to go towards support services that help keep you healthy, independent and connected to your community.

Keep in mind there could be long wait times between your assessment, approval and commencement. Apply for an assessment online.

In the meantime, if you are looking for aged care, you can directly engage with support workers on Mable and choose to pay privately.

When you pay privately on Mable, you still get all the benefits of connecting with our verified support workers and insurance coverage for all approved sessions.

Support worker hangs an orange towel on the Hills Hoist clothesline in the backyard.

FAQs

My Aged Care is a federal government initiative. The Australian Department of Health administers various aspects of the scheme.

You can call My Aged Care on 1800 200 422. It’s a free call and you’ll reach someone Monday to Friday from 8 am to 8 pm and on Saturday from 10 am to 2 pm. For translating and interpreting services, call 131 450 and ask for 1800 200 422. If you have a hearing or speech impairment, you can reach My Aged Care via the National Relay Service on 1800 555 660.

No, HCP funding doesn’t affect the pension because it doesn’t count as income.

It is important to understand the costs of your HCP before you choose your home care provider so that you can make the right decision regarding your support and care management needs.

When you receive a HCP, you have a budget to pay for the support services you need. The budget depends on the level of care you need, which is determined by your HCP level.

Your home care package budget includes:

  • The Australian government’s contribution – This can include supplements for specific care needs for eligible recipients
  • Basic daily fees – Everyone who receives a package has to pay these
  • Income-tested care fees – People who earn income over a certain amount are required to pay income-tested care fees
  • Sums for additional care and services – These are payable by the individual if they require additional services that the package funding would not otherwise cover.

Find out more about home HCP costs and fees.

For comprehensive information about what contributions you will make, visit the My Aged Care website.

Yes, you can. When it comes to accessing home care services with your package funds, understanding what supports these can be spent on is important.

My Aged Care provides a good overview of services:

  • Personal care (such as bathing, maintaining personal hygiene)
  • Nursing care
  • Therapies to maintain movement and mobility
  • Meal preparation
  • Chores around the house such as cleaning, laundry, etc.
  • Support with social activities to help the person stay engaged with their community
  • Transport support
  • Home or garden maintenance
  • Support managing particular conditions to help the person live independently at home.

The full list of home care services is provided in the Quality of Care Principles 2014 on the Federal Register of Legislation website, Schedule 3 – Care and services for home care services.

Yes, you can. If you’d like to book more hours of support on Mable than your funding covers, you can pay privately for them.

While you wait for your HCP to be approved, 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 until you receive your allocated HCP funding.

If you are a couple who lives at the same address, you can both access aged care services. You will each need to be assessed independently and wait for your packages to come through. Everything is evaluated on an individual basis.

Find support that suits
your budget

Find support that suits your budget

Choose a support worker and mutually agree on rates.