Home Care Packages (HCP) are one of the ways that older Australians can access affordable care services to get some help at home.
December 21, 2021
Home Care Packages (HCP) are one of the ways that older Australians can access affordable care services to get some help at home. They are designed for those with more complex care needs that go beyond what the Commonwealth Home Support Programme can provide.
Home Care Packages can be an option if you need a coordinated approach to the delivery of your help at home – perhaps because you need help with many everyday tasks, or the care you need is more complex or intensive.
Depending on the level of Home Care Package you receive, you can get assistance with a range of different services:
Bathing,hygiene, and grooming To help you maintain your personal hygiene and grooming standards.
Nursing: To help you treat and monitor medical conditions at home.
Podiatry, physiotherapy, and other therapies: To help you maintain movement and mobility.
Meals and food preparation: To help ensure that you continue to eat well.
Cleaning, laundry, and other chores: To help you keep your home clean and liveable
Home or garden maintenance: To help you keep your home and garden in a safe condition.
Transport: To get you out and about to appointments and community activities.
Social outings, groups and visitors: To help you remain social and interact with your community.
Home Care Packages are flexible; there may be other care and services that are suited to your needs. Together with your provider, you will need to work out if a care or service that you need:
A Home Care Package should not be used for, and does not replace, care and services that can be accessed through other health programs that you might be eligible for. You should continue to access these if and when you need them, through your GP and hospitals.
There are care and services that you must not use Home Care Package funds for:
Services are provided by a variety of organisations across Australia. To find out what Home Care Package providers are near you, use our Find a provider tool.
You choose a service provider that is right for you. The government then pays your provider a subsidy to arrange a package of care services to meet your needs.
As everyone’s care needs are different, there are four levels of Home Care Packages with different funding amounts. These cover basic support needs through to high care needs.
The package level assigned to you is based on your needs.
| Package level | Level of care needs |
|---|---|
| Level 1 | Basic care needs – $9,026.45 a year |
| Level 2 | Low care needs – $15,877.50 a year |
| Level 3 | Intermediate care needs – $34,550.90 a year |
| Level 4 | High care needs – $52,377.50 a year |
You work with your chosen provider to identify your care needs and decide how best to spend your package funding. Your service provider coordinates and can manage your services for you on your behalf.
You’re expected to contribute to the cost of your care if you can afford it. Your contribution is made up of three types of fees:
Eligibility is based on your care needs as determined through an assessment, but you must also be:
Your financial situation won’t affect your eligibility. But you will need a financial assessment to work out exactly how much you may be asked to contribute.
If you think you only need a low level of support – perhaps only one or two services – you may not need a Home Care Package. You may be more suited for help at home through the Commonwealth Home Support Programme.
Check if you meet the requirements for an assessment or if you are ready, apply for an assessment now.
After you have been assessed as being eligible, how long it takes to get a Home Care Package depends on what package level you are eligible for.
How urgently someone needs services can also impact how long it may take to receive a Home Care Package. Those with higher or more urgent needs are prioritised to receive services.
For people with a medium priority, the expected wait time for an approved Home Care Package is:
| Package level | Approximate wait time |
|---|---|
| Level 1 | 3 – 6 months |
| Level 2 | 9 – 12 months |
| Level 3 | 9 – 12 months |
| Level 4 | 9 – 12 months |
* Last revised 31 May 2021
How you check your wait time depends on the services you’re waiting for.
If you’re waiting for Commonwealth Home Support Programme services, you could stay in contact with local providers or My Aged Care to check on availability.
If you have been approved for a Home Care Package, you can find out your expected wait time by either contacting My Aged Care, or by logging into your Online Account using myGov.
Find out about accessing your Online Account
An income assessment works out if you have to pay an income-tested care fee for your Home Care Package. It is undertaken by the government and is based on your income only.
Read more about income assessments
For more information go to Home Care Packages | My Aged Care
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