Before residential care, most families use home care. From 1 November 2025 the new Support at Home program replaced Home Care Packages and Short-Term Restorative Care. It is arranged through My Aged Care after an assessment.
How it works
Support at Home has eight ongoing funding levels (roughly A$11,000 to A$78,000 a year), plus short-term pathways for restorative care and end-of-life support. Funding pays for personal care, nursing, allied health, home modifications and assistive technology. Contributions depend on your means and the type of service.
When home care isn’t enough
When needs run through the night, when there is significant dementia with safety risk, or when a carer is exhausted, home care alone stops being safe. That’s usually the moment to begin the residential aged care pathway — even if a move is still months away, because of waitlists.
How to use this guide in practice
Don’t read this as general information — use it as a worksheet. Write down the details of the person who needs care, the current limits of the situation at home, the monthly budget, the documents you already have, whether they’ve registered with My Aged Care and had an assessment, and who you’ve already spoken with. Then turn every unclear point into a specific question. A family that arrives with a clear picture usually gets more useful answers than one calling under stress with scattered information.
Keep one simple rule: anything about admission, cost, funding, waitlists and whether a home fits must be confirmed directly with the aged care home or the competent authority serving your area. This guide prepares the search — it does not replace official decisions.
Want a clear shortlist before you start calling?
If you don’t know which aged care homes to contact first, Curalune Care Help can prepare an ordered shortlist of 3–5 suitable homes — with Star Ratings, contacts, useful links and a ready-to-send enquiry.
The service helps you organise the search.A$109, one-off. If you don't receive at least 3 homes matching the area and criteria you gave us, we refund you in full. It does not replace the home’s own assessment or the My Aged Care process, and it does not guarantee admission, price or a room.
Important limit
Curalune offers practical help with the search and orientation. Admission, pricing, room availability, eligibility and the final assessment always rest with the aged care homes and the competent authorities (My Aged Care, Services Australia for the means assessment, and the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission).