Home care costs are complex. It can be confusing trying to work out what fees you need to pay and what services you can afford with the funding available to you.
Your provider must actively support you to understand any fees and charges by giving you all necessary information. They also have an obligation to provide you with a monthly statement of your fees and charges, but sometimes these statements are unclear and difficult to navigate.
There are a number of valuable tools and resources to help you understand how it all works (see below).
Informing yourself about government contributions, service provider costs and out-of-pocket fees will enable you to get the best out of your home care.
If you are having problems understanding fees or costs, OPAN has a team of aged care advocates and Financial Advocacy Officers who can support you.
Watch OPAN's webinar on Support at Home costs and fees
The new Support at Home program will replace the Home Care Packages (HCP) program and Short-Term Restorative Care (STRC) programme from 1 July 2025. Learn more as our panel of experts to explore how these changes will affect what you pay for Support at Home.
Documents and external links
Learn more about home care costs. These documents and websites offer help, strategies, and practical information. Brief descriptions are provided for each document or link.
In-home aged care
How do aged care costs work?
Support at Home fee estimator
Commonwealth Home Support Programme costs
Support at Home costs and contributions
View the My Aged Care webpage for in-depth information on support at home budgets, fees breakdown and government contributions.
Monthly statement for Support at Home services
This Australian Department of Health, Disability and Ageing webpage provides information on monthly statements for people receiving suppot at home services. The statements show their available funds, how the funds are being spent and the amount of unspent funds.
Letters to home care recipients to prepare for Support at Home
Letters to older people on a Home Care Package to prepare for the new Support at Home program.
Summary of indicative Support at Home prices
This fact sheet includes indicative price ranges for most Support at Home services. These price ranges reflect what Home Care Package Program providers have reported that they intend to charge for services under Support at Home.
