Understanding aged care funding.
What's available, how it works, and how to get started — in plain English, with a friendly team beside you the whole way.
Am I eligible for government funding?
Most Australians aged 65 or over (or 50 or over for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people) can apply for government-funded help at home. It all starts with one front door: My Aged Care. You don't need to know any of the jargon before you begin — the journey is four steps, and we can walk beside you for every one of them.
Your journey to funded care — four steps.
Register with My Aged Care
Call 1800 200 422, apply online at myagedcare.gov.au, or ask your GP or hospital to refer you. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people can choose an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander assessment organisation.
Have your assessment
A friendly assessor visits and uses the Integrated Assessment Tool to understand your goals, health and daily life. It's a conversation, not a test.
Receive your plan & decision
You'll get a support plan with your goals, a Notice of Decision confirming your budget — and a referral code to give to the provider you choose.
Choose your provider
Hand your referral code to ACAC and together we turn your plan into real help: a care partner, a schedule, and familiar faces at your door.
You don't have to wait for approval to get help.
Assessments and approvals take time — but life doesn't pause. Many families talk to us while their application is still in progress: to ask questions, plan ahead, or simply feel less alone in the process. And if you'd like care to start straight away, you can pay privately at our published rates until your funding lands — then switch across seamlessly.
Why the system changed — a short story.
After the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety, Australia set out to build something better: a system that's easier to understand, delivers higher-quality care, and treats older people with the dignity and choice they deserve. The result is Support at Home, which began on 1 November 2025 — one program, one budget, your home.
We welcome the changes — they match how we've always tried to work.
Let's get you the right support.
Answer a few simple questions and we'll get in touch with personalised help. If you'd rather talk to a real person, simply call (08) 7094 3155.
