How to Apply for Support at Home

Begin by registering with My Aged Care and complete a short screening so the system can work out your pathway and priority.

Ways to start: Call My Aged Care on 1800 200 422; apply online at myagedcare.gov.au using the “Apply for an assessment” form; ask your GP, health professional or hospital to refer you; or book an Aged Care Specialist Officer (ACSO) appointment at a Services Australia service centre for face-to-face help.

Why this matters: Any of these options feed the same national system, so choose what is easiest for you.

What you’ll need handy: A Medicare card and one other primary ID (Driver Licence, DVA card or Healthcare Card), your GP and health professionals’ details, and a short list of what you find difficult and your goals.

Helpful tip: These details speed things up, but do not delay your application if something is missing; you can add or correct information during the call.

After screening, My Aged Care sends your details to an aged care assessment organisation. You will get a call from a triage delegate who uses the Integrated Assessment Tool (IAT) to decide three things:

1. Whether you are eligible for an assessment

2. Which assessment pathway you need: Home support or comprehensive

3. The urgency and priority of your assessment


What Is A Triage Delegate? This is the staff member who checks your situation quickly and makes sure you are booked for the right assessment, at the right urgency. They are not your ongoing assessor.

Helpful tip: Keep your phone nearby and answer unknown numbers for a few days after you register so you do not miss the call.

At this step, an aged care assessor will visit you at home, where you may have a family member or carer present with you. Here, the assessor will ask you about:
Your everyday activities such as showering safely, cooking and getting out and about:

1.Your health conditions, recent changes such as falls or hospital stays, and any potential risks

2. What matters most to you such as your goals, daily routines, culture and wider community

3. The support you already have available to you

Why This Matters: Providing clear examples of what is hard, and what you want to achieve, helps the assessor match services to your goals.

Bring:

1. A list of your medications and allergies

2. The names of your GP and/or specialists (and their contact details)

3. Two or three examples of the tasks you currently find hard

Helpful tip: Notes kept on paper or in your phone are completely fine – in fact, it helps to have it written down. So, if you forget something, you can always raise it later with your provider.

What Comes Out Of the Assessment:

1. Your ongoing classification (1 to 8) with an annual amount released quarterly

2. Your approved services from the national service list

3. Any short-term approvals such as Restorative Care, End-of-Life, or Assistive Technology and Home Modifications (AT-HM) are outlined

What this means for you: These decisions appear in your Notice of Decision. Keep it handy, as your provider will use it to set up care.

You’ll receive a Notice of Decision and a support plan listing your classification, quarterly budget, approved services, and any short-term approvals.
Your next move is to choose a provide who will:

1. Co-design your care plan with you

2. Schedule and coordinate services

3. Check in and adjust supports as your situation changes

Why this matters: Your care partner is your day-to-day contact. A good working relationship here makes the whole experience smoother.

How to choose well: Ask when services can start, whether you will have consistent workers, and what happens for after-hours or weekends Ask how they deliver care management. Ten percent of your quarterly budget is set aside for planning, coordination, monitoring and education. Ask how they will use this to deliver value for you. Ask for sample monthly statements so you can see how spending will appear.

Your provider will book services and draw from your quarterly budget as supports are delivered. You will receive itemised monthly statements showing what was used and what is left.

Good to know:

1. If you start mid-quarter, your first budget is pro-rated

2. You can carry over up to $1,000 or 10% of your quarter, whichever is higher, to the next quarter

3. If your needs change, simply ask for a Support Plan Review. You can be re-assessed and have your plan updated

Why this matters: Understanding these rules helps you avoid surprises and make the most of your budget across the year.