How can I receive government-subsidised aged care services?
If you are over 65 you can apply for government-subsidised aged care services by contacting My Aged Care by phone or online to discuss your care needs.
Following your face-to-face assessment, you will find out which services you’re eligible for. You should receive a letter and support plan detailing this and other information.
After your phone or online assessment, My Aged Care will arrange a face-to-face assessment in your home to determine the level of support you need.
Depending on your care needs, services can be accessed either through:
Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP)
This program aims to help those who need a low level of support to keep living independently.
Home Care Packages are for those with greater or more complex care needs.
More information about HCP can be found here.
If you are eligible for CHSP services, the next step is to connect with
suitable aged care providers.
The assessor can forward a referral to your preferred provider
(e.g. Glasshouse Country Care), who will then contact you
if they have capacity for that service.
Or you can search for a provider yourself.
If you choose to do this, your assessor will give you a
referral code (e.g. 2-12345678912) for each service you are
eligible for to give to the provider of your choice.
These referral codes are listed in your support plan.
You may not be able to receive services straight away as providers do not always have the capacity to take new clients.
You are welcome to contact other providers to check if they have availability for the services you need.
Once a service provider has accepted the referral, they will contact you. You can ask questions and make sure you understand any fees and your client contribution before you agree to services.
The provider will then prepare the paperwork for signing. Once that is signed by you and returned, you can start receiving services.