Personal care
Respectful help with showering, dressing, grooming, toileting and getting in and out of bed, from a consistent worker who speaks your language. Fully funded since 1 October 2026.
Aged care at home under Support at Home
What Support at Home is
Support at Home is the Australian Government program that funds care for older people who want to keep living in their own home. It started on 1 November 2025 and replaced Home Care Packages and Short-Term Restorative Care. You are assessed once, placed in one of eight funding classifications, and then choose who delivers your services.
Funding is organised in three categories. Clinical supports, which since 1 October 2026 include personal care as well as nursing and allied health, are fully government funded. Independence and everyday living services attract a contribution that depends on your income and assets, and we explain your share before anything starts. Separate funding covers equipment and home modifications.
Avida Care delivers in-home services funded under Support at Home across all three categories, with staff who speak English, Mandarin and Cantonese. Where you need something outside our own team, our coordinators arrange it through our network of more than 80 partner providers.
Support at Home at a glance
- Eight funding classifications instead of the old four package levels, each with a quarterly budget.
- Services sit in three categories: clinical supports, independence and everyday living. Since 1 October 2026 personal care counts as a clinical support, so there is no contribution for showering, dressing and similar help.
- Equipment and home modifications are funded separately through the AT-HM scheme, so they do not eat into your care budget.
- 10% of each quarterly budget is set aside for care management, the care partner who runs your plan.
- Unspent funds roll over to the next quarter, up to $1,000 or 10% of the quarterly budget, whichever is higher.
- The Commonwealth Home Support Programme continues alongside Support at Home until at least July 2027.
Clinical supports
Fully funded by the government with no contribution. Nursing and therapy are delivered by or under the supervision of qualified health professionals, and personal care joined this category on 1 October 2026.
Nursing care
Registered nurses for wound care, medication management, continence support, chronic disease monitoring and post-hospital care at home.
Allied health and therapy
Physiotherapy, occupational therapy, podiatry, exercise physiology, psychology, dietetics and speech pathology, all in your home.
Care management
A named care partner who builds your care plan, monitors your budget, coordinates every provider and reviews the plan as your needs change.
Restorative care
Short, intensive allied health programs after illness, injury or a fall to rebuild strength and confidence and reduce the need for ongoing care.
Independence
Help with the things that keep you mobile and connected. A contribution applies based on your means.
Social support and community engagement
A companion for outings, shopping, community groups, festivals and appointments, so isolation does not set in.
Transport
Door-to-door transport to medical appointments, shopping and social activities, with help in and out of the car.
Assistive technology and home modifications
Occupational therapist assessments, equipment such as shower chairs and walkers, and modifications such as grab rails and ramps, funded through the AT-HM scheme.
Everyday living
The practical tasks that keep a home running. A contribution applies based on your means.
Domestic assistance
Cleaning, laundry, changing beds and light housework on a regular schedule.
Home maintenance and gardening
Lawns, pruning, gutters and minor repairs that keep paths and entrances safe to use.
Meal preparation
Shopping and cooking the food you actually like, including Chinese home cooking, with attention to any dietary needs.
Short-term pathways
Extra funding on top of your ongoing classification when circumstances change. We help you apply and deliver the services.
Assistive Technology and Home Modifications (AT-HM)
Equipment such as walkers and shower chairs, and modifications such as grab rails, ramps and non-slip flooring. Funded in low (up to $500), medium (up to $2,000) and high (up to $15,000) tiers after an occupational therapist assessment.
Restorative Care Pathway
Up to 16 weeks of intensive allied health and nursing, around $6,000, to regain strength and confidence after illness, injury or a fall. It replaced Short-Term Restorative Care.
End-of-Life Pathway
For people with a life expectancy of three months or less who want to stay at home: up to $25,000 over 12 to 16 weeks for nursing, personal care and daily help.
Classifications and budgets
Your assessment places you in one of eight classifications. The budget must cover care management plus the services you choose. Figures are the official amounts effective 1 October 2026, indexed each July, so check your assessment letter for the current number.
1
- Annual budget
- $11,032
- Per quarter
- $2,758
2
- Annual budget
- $16,484
- Per quarter
- $4,121
3
- Annual budget
- $22,581
- Per quarter
- $5,645
4
- Annual budget
- $30,528
- Per quarter
- $7,632
5
- Annual budget
- $40,809
- Per quarter
- $10,202
6
- Annual budget
- $49,462
- Per quarter
- $12,365
7
- Annual budget
- $59,777
- Per quarter
- $14,944
8
- Annual budget
- $80,294
- Per quarter
- $20,074
| Classification | Annual budget | Per quarter |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $11,032 | $2,758 |
| 2 | $16,484 | $4,121 |
| 3 | $22,581 | $5,645 |
| 4 | $30,528 | $7,632 |
| 5 | $40,809 | $10,202 |
| 6 | $49,462 | $12,365 |
| 7 | $59,777 | $14,944 |
| 8 | $80,294 | $20,074 |
If you held a Home Care Package before 1 November 2025, you moved to a budget that matches your old level and kept any unspent funds. No reassessment was needed.
What you contribute
Contributions are set by the government, not by the provider. Clinical supports, including personal care since 1 October 2026, are always free. For the other two categories, your share depends on your pension status.
Full pensioner
- Clinical supports and personal care
- 0%
- Independence
- 5%
- Everyday living
- 17.5%
Part pensioner or Commonwealth Seniors Health Card holder
- Clinical supports and personal care
- 0%
- Independence
- 5% to 50%
- Everyday living
- 17.5% to 80%
Self-funded retiree
- Clinical supports and personal care
- 0%
- Independence
- 50%
- Everyday living
- 80%
| Your situation | Clinical supports and personal care | Independence | Everyday living |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full pensioner | 0% | 5% | 17.5% |
| Part pensioner or Commonwealth Seniors Health Card holder | 0% | 5% to 50% | 17.5% to 80% |
| Self-funded retiree | 0% | 50% | 80% |
Percentages are of the government price for each service. People who were already on a Home Care Package keep their previous fee arrangements under the no-worse-off rule. We give you a written quote before any service starts.
How to get started
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Call us or My Aged Care
We can register you with My Aged Care on the phone, or you can call them on 1800 200 422 and ask for an interpreter.
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Assessment at home
An assessor visits, talks through what you find hard and recommends a classification. We can help you prepare.
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Receive your funding
You get a classification with a quarterly budget. We explain in plain language what it buys each week.
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Build your care plan
Together we choose the services, days and workers, and put it in writing in English or Chinese.
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Services start and are reviewed
Your care partner checks in after the first weeks and whenever your needs change.
Why families choose Avida Care
Your language
Support workers, nurses and office staff who speak Mandarin and Cantonese, with documents in Chinese.
Nurses and therapists in-house
Clinical care comes from our own team, not a referral list, so it starts sooner and stays joined up.
Consistent workers
The same small team each week, matched on language and, where it matters, gender.
80+ partner providers
For anything outside our team, your coordinator knows who to call and manages it for you.
Common questions
Who is eligible for Support at Home?
People aged 65 and over, or 50 and over for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, who need help to keep living at home. Eligibility is decided by a My Aged Care assessment, which we can help you arrange.
I already had a Home Care Package. What happens now?
Existing package holders were moved into Support at Home without losing their approved level of funding. If you had unspent funds, they carried over. We can review your current plan and services at no cost.
What will I pay?
Nothing for clinical supports, which cover nursing, allied health and, since 1 October 2026, personal care. For independence and everyday living services, you pay a contribution set by the government based on your income and assets. Full pensioners pay the lowest rates. We give you a written breakdown before you agree to anything.
How long does it take to start?
The assessment and funding allocation are run by the government and can take some months. While you wait, we can often start lower-level help through the Commonwealth Home Support Programme or privately, and switch to Support at Home funding when it arrives.
Can I change providers if I am not happy?
Yes. You can move your Support at Home funding to another provider at any time with the notice period in your agreement. Your funding stays with you.
Talk to us about care at home
A free conversation in English, Mandarin or Cantonese about where you are up to and what the next step is.