Your Simple Guide to Identifying a Quality Support at Home Provider

With the new Support at Home program launching 1 July 2025, it’s more important now than ever to ask this, what makes a good in-home aged care provider? Because when it’s all said and done, the final decision is yours to make. 

To assure quality care is delivered that’s safe, efficient, and all-encompassing of the services you expect to receive, it’s essential to be able to identify a good fit. Choosing the right provider makes all the difference between feeling truly cared for, or on the other hand, unsupported and searching for more answers. 

Here, we provide a simple guide for what to look for in a quality Support at Home in-home aged care provider: 

1. Accreditation and accountability

Always start with the basics: Is this provider approved under the Support at Home program?

From 1 July 2025, all providers will be required to meet and adhere to strict standards as listed under the new program, including the requirement to publish their service prices on the official My Aged Care website. Here, you should be able to clearly view the following details of a provider:

• What services are offered;
  
• How much each service costs (all-inclusive and upfront);
  
• How they’re rated by others in your area. 

If a provider avoids questions or doesn’t explain their pricing clearly? That’s a red flag. And it never hurts to do your own research, drawing upon Google reviews, Trust Pilot, and/or any other user-generated content for verifying the reputation of a provider. 

2. Clear, upfront communication

A good in-home aged care provider will:

• Explain your service agreement in plain English (not a whole heap of complex terms or technical lingo attempting to distance you from clearly understanding);
  
• Talk through your budget and how it’s being spent with the utmost transparency regarding all fees involved with a clear overview of what is/isn’t covered;
  
• Be responsive when you call or email, and be able to personally attend to your chosen communication;
  
• Involve you (and your family, if you choose) in every step of the care planning journey while making sure to check-in to see how you’re feeling about all this. 

All-in-all, if you find yourself constantly chasing answers or feel brushed off – that’s a clear sign to reconsider. It should go without saying, but a provider that cares about you, will CareAbout you – see exactly why. 

3. Flexibility to meet your changing needs

Life isn’t static, and neither should your care be. When an unexpected event or incident occurs, you should feel the peace of mind to be supported (even with short notice) – that’s why an effective Support at Home provider will: 

• Help to reassess your needs on a regular basis;
  
• Adjust your care plan quickly should your condition and/or health needs change;
  
• Support you in accessing short-term boosts (such as rehabilitation and/or palliative care) whenever needed. 

Look for a provider who listens and adapts, is transparent, and maintains a solution-first mindset, not someone locked into a rigid schedule with only limited services available (or a daunting fine print). 

4. Prioritises care management

Every Support at Home participant will dedicate part of their budget to care management, which means prioritising your safety should always be the first port of call. A strong in-home aged care provider will deliver the following: 

• Checks in with you on a regular basis to see how you’re feeling and if any additional support is required;
  
• Helps you to clearly understand which service support types are available, and what these types mean for you;
  
• Coordinates appointments, special equipment, and any other modifications/changes needed to assure you feel comfortable, and most importantly, safe at all times.  

If care management isn’t a significant part of your plan, it’s worth raising questions or better yet, having a look elsewhere. 

5. Major red flags to watch out for

To assure you feel safe in your home at all times, it’s quintessential to identify the following red flags by way of knowing when to avoid an in-home aged care provider. 

A in-home aged care provider isn’t a trusted provider (and should be avoided) when they: 

• Are vague about pricing and/or services, perhaps directing you to a complex fine print or questionable (and extensive) terms and conditions;
  
• Don’t provide you with an upfront (all-inclusive cost), if this is the case, this provider isn’t adhering to the new Support at Home program;
  
• Rush you into signing a new agreement or contract without explaining your care thoroughly and in detail;
  
• Make you feel like you’re “just a number,” because this will never be the case for a provider that prioritises quality care, every aged care recipient matters.
  
• Can’t present their staff qualifications and/or care records, this should never be hard to ascertain or verify.
  
• Push you into services you didn’t ask for, quality care starts and ends with listening to your needs.
  

And of course, trust your instincts. If something feels unnatural or simply off, then it probably is, let that feeling lead your next decision. 

Let CareAbout match you with trusted providers

We understand, knowing who to trust and how to find the right provider is hard, but that’s where CareAbout comes in. We only pair with the providers we would trust to take care of our very own loved ones. 

That’s why we pride ourselves on vetting all providers through an extensive process to assure they’re the right fit; providing high-quality standards and fair pricing while reputable, trusted, and of course, they’ll CareAbout you. Don’t just take our word for it, start your placement process with CareAbout today!