Guides
Support at Home explained, in plain English
The Aldera team Published 26 August 2026
Illustrative. Does not depict Aldera clients or staff.
If you have been reading about aged care funding and feel more confused than when you started, you are not alone. Here is the plain version.
What Support at Home is
Support at Home is the government program that pays for aged care delivered in your own home, rather than in a residential facility. Instead of a one-size figure, it gives you a quarterly budget for services, sized to your assessed level of need.
That budget can go towards things like:
- Personal care, such as help with showering and dressing
- Domestic assistance, such as cleaning and laundry
- Meals and help with shopping
- Transport to appointments and the shops
- Social support and companionship
- Clinical care, such as nursing, which is fully government funded
How it works in practice
You get assessed through My Aged Care, which sets your classification and quarterly budget. You then choose a provider to deliver your care, and services are drawn from your budget. Depending on a means assessment, you may contribute towards some everyday supports, while clinical care carries no personal contribution.
What it means for you
The practical headline is this: you do not have to leave your home to get real support. For most people the government funds the majority of that support, and a good provider makes the paperwork and the budget feel manageable rather than mysterious.
Where Aldera differs is not the funding, which is the same wherever you go. It is who turns up. Our whole model is built around a small, consistent Care Circle so you are not retelling your story to a stranger every week.
Where to get the official detail
Funding rules and rates are national and they change, so the authoritative source is always myagedcare.gov.au. For what it means in your situation, call us and we will explain it in plain English.
This guide is general information, not financial or legal advice.
Part of our How funding works guide.
Not sure where you fit?
Call us and a real person will talk it through, no obligation and no script.
Call 1300 998 928Common questions
What is the Support at Home program?
Support at Home is the Australian Government program that funds in-home aged care. It provides a quarterly budget for services like personal care, domestic help, meals, transport and social support, based on an assessment of your needs.
What happened to Home Care Packages?
Support at Home is the reformed program that replaced the earlier Home Care Packages approach. If you are moving across from an older arrangement, your provider and My Aged Care can explain how your funding carries over.
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