Home Care costs and funding information
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The cost of Home Care can be tricky to understand because it changes depending on your personal situation.
The cost can also change depending on the type of care you want—or need—to stay independent in your own home.
There are lots of new things to learn in understanding Home Care pricing. It’s common and completely ok to feel a bit overwhelmed at the start.
The best thing you can do is call our friendly team to chat things through. Call 13 22 78 at any point to ask your questions, or for more detailed information about your specific personal situation.
Need support with Home Care?
Need support with Home Care?
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Understand your options or get your questions answered. We can help at any stage of the process, and you have no obligations at any point.
How do I pay for Home Care?
There are three common ways to pay for Home Care. They are:
- Home Care Package: this means the Australian Government gives you a budget to pay for the care you need. This type of funding is usually for older adults who need more help to stay independent at home, but can also cover costs for things like gardening and cleaning.
- Commonwealth Home Support Programme: this means the Australian Government gives you a budget to pay for the care you need. It is for people over the age of 65, or Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people over the age of 50. If you meet these criteria, the Commonwealth Home Support Programme can provide a little bit of help at home.
- Self-funded: you pay for the care you need with your own money. Some people call this ‘private services’.
You can learn more about each of these payment types below.
If you are ready to get started or you have questions about any of these types of payments, call us on 13 22 78 for a friendly, obligation-free conversation.
Home Care Packages
How much money do I get in my budget with a Home Care Package?
The amount of money you get in a Home Care Package is determined by the Australian Government. It depends on different factors, like your care needs and your living arrangement, which you will talk about with the government when they check your eligibility in an assessment conversation. This conversation is called an ACAS Assessment (which stands for ‘Aged Care Assessment Service’).
We can support you through this conversation to help you get the best possible result: call 13 22 78 to learn more.
There are 4 levels of Home Care Packages. Each one gives you access to a different budget:
- Home Care Package Level 1: This is for people with basic care needs. You will have access to $10,588.65* per year.
- Home Care Package Level 2: This is for people with low-level care needs. You will have access to $18,622.30* per year.
- Home Care Package Level 3: This is for people with intermediate care needs. You will have access to $40,529.60* per year.
- Home Care Package Level 4: This is for people with high level care needs. You will have access to $61,440.45* per year.
You will learn which level you have after ACAS completed their assessment.
You can then use this budget to pay for the services and supports you need to stay independent in your own home.
*Please note these amounts are reviewed by the Government and change on 1 July every year. These figures are up to date as of 1 July 2024.
Commonwealth Home Support Programme
The Commonwealth Home Support Programme (also sometimes called the CHSP) is a type of funding you can get from the Government to use on Home Care services. It is an ‘entry level support’ to help keep older people living independently at home.
‘Entry level support’ means it is designed to provide basic assistance for people who need a little bit of help with basic tasks. For people who have more needs, a Home Care Package will be more suitable.
If you are confused or feeling overwhelmed, don’t worry. We can help you work out the right funding model for you. Let’s get started by calling 13 22 78.
Self-funded Home Care
You can always choose to pay for care using your own money, at any time. We will talk to you to understand your needs, your budget, and the best care for your situation.
This can include:
- A little bit of support for a short amount of time, while you wait for funding.
- Ongoing care to help you stay independent in your own home.
To get started with self-funded Home Care, call 13 22 78.
How much does Home Care cost?
The answer to this question changes depending on how you intend to pay for your Home Care services, and the types of services you want or need.
Generally speaking, there are three types of fees you may need to pay when getting Home Care services.
- A basic daily fee (you will not have to pay this with Baptcare, although other providers ask that you do).
- An income-tested care fee (an extra contribution that some people pay, based on the outcome of a test called an income assessment).
- Home Care service fees. We will clearly outline any other fees you may be required to pay in your Home Care Agreement, before you begin to receive services.
If you need more information, have questions, or just need someone to listen, you can always call us for support at any time: 13 22 78.
Frequently asked questions
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No. Baptcare does not charge any entry, exit or set-up fees.
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Home Care Package fees are determined by Services Australia.
You can estimate your fees using the fee estimator on the My Aged Care website.
You can also complete this Services Australia form to work out how much you’ll pay towards your Home Care Package.
Complete the income assessment with Services Australia prior to taking a home care package to determine your contribution, if any.
There are some income support payments which are means-tested.
These include:- Age Pension—Blind
- Disability Support Pension—Blind
- Carer Allowance
- Mobility Allowance
- DVA Disability Pension without the Income Support Supplement
- DVA War Widow’s Pension without the Income Support Supplement.
If you are a Services Australia Centrelink pensioner you can contact Centrelink on 1800 227 475 or the Department of Veteran Affairs on 1800 555 254.
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To complete an income assessment for centrelink pension holders please call 1800 227 475.
Baptcare can help you with the income assessment process too. Call 13 22 78 to speak with our friendly staff today.
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Once Services Australia determine your income-tested fee, you’ll receive a ‘fee advice letter’ outlining your income tested fee contribution (if you have to pay) and the basic daily fee. Note, while some Home Care providers will charge you a basic daily fee, Baptcare does not.
This ‘fee advice letter’ is valid for 120 days – unless your circumstances change.
If your circumstances do change, you must let Services Australia know. They’ll then reissue your fee advice letter with updated details.
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From the date you submit your Income Assessment form, it usually takes a minimum of two weeks to receive a letter about your fees.
We recommend keeping a copy of the form before you send it via post (express post recommended). It takes six weeks to process but we recommend you call Services Australia after two weeks to ensure they have received your letter. You can call on 1800 227 475 to request an update on the progress of your Income Assessment form.
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Any fees that you need to pay to Baptcare for your Home Care Package are paid on a monthly basis.
The government will hold the subsidy and supplements for every day you hold a Home Care Package.
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Fees are only payable once your Home Care Package starts (this includes the income-tested care fee).
However, as soon as you have entered into a Home Care Agreement with Baptcare your daily contribution to the service is payable.
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No. The funds made available to you in a Home Care Package are held by the Government, and Baptcare will manage these funds on your behalf.
