A simple guide to starting aged care
The process can feel unfamiliar and a little bureaucratic, which is exactly why it helps to see the whole path laid out in front of you.
Here’s the journey, step by step, so you always know what comes next and what to have ready. None of it has to happen at once, and you don’t have to do any of it alone.
Step 1: Start with a conversation
Before any forms or phone calls, there’s the conversation with your loved one. It’s often the most delicate part, so lead with care – focus on staying independent at home rather than on what they can no longer do, and give them a real say in the decision. People accept support far more readily when it feels like their choice.
If you’re not sure how to raise it, our guide to the early signs can help you frame what you’ve noticed in a gentle, concrete way.
Step 2: Register with My Aged Care
My Aged Care is the government’s front door to home care support. You can start online or by phone on 1800 200 422, on your loved one’s behalf if that’s easier.
They’ll ask some straightforward questions about how the person is managing day to day, and check basic eligibility – home care support is generally for people aged 65 and over, or 50 and over for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. If it looks like a fit, they’ll arrange an assessment. Here’s how the whole process works if you’d like to see it end to end first.
Step 3: Have the assessment
An assessor will meet with your loved one, usually at home, for a relaxed conversation about how they’re going and where support would help. It’s free and puts you under no obligation.
A little preparation makes it go smoothly. Have their Medicare card handy, a current list of medications, and any relevant medical information. It also helps to jot down the everyday things that have become harder. Encourage your loved one to be honest about the tough days rather than putting on a brave face – the assessment can only reflect what it’s told, and an accurate picture leads to the right level of support.
Step 4: Receive the classification and budget
After the assessment, you’ll get an outcome that sets out a classification – one of eight levels – and the budget that comes with it. This is where a bit of background pays off, because the letter can read as a wall of unfamiliar terms.
Our guide to Support at Home funding breaks down what the classifications mean, how the quarterly budget works, and what you’d be likely to contribute, so the outcome letter makes sense when it arrives.
Step 5: Choose a registered provider
Now you choose who delivers the care. This is a decision worth taking seriously, since your provider becomes the team in your loved one’s home. There’s a window to get started once you’re approved, so it helps to have a shortlist ready rather than beginning from scratch.
Two things make this easier: our guide on what to look for in a provider, and the questions worth asking each one. Between them you’ll be able to compare providers with confidence.
Step 6: Agree the service agreement and care plan
Once you’ve chosen, you’ll sit down with the provider to set out a service agreement and a care plan together. This covers which services you’ll receive, when, and the goals behind them – staying steady on their feet, keeping up with the garden, getting to the things they love.
This is the moment to make sure the plan reflects the person, not a template. A good provider will build it around them, and revisit it as things change.
Step 7: Understand what you’ll pay
Before services begin, make sure you’re clear on costs. Clinical care such as nursing and allied health is fully funded, and you contribute only towards independence and everyday living services, at a rate based on income and assets. You’ll receive itemised monthly statements so there are no surprises.
If anything’s unclear, ask – and see how we handle pricing for a sense of what a straight answer looks like.
Step 8: Start services and settle in
The first few weeks are about finding a rhythm. Expect small adjustments – a visit time that works better, a task that turns out to matter more than another – and don’t be shy about giving feedback early. The point is to shape everyday support around real life, and that only happens if you speak up.
It’s also worth remembering that support exists for you as the family carer too, not only for your loved one.
Step 9: Review and adjust as needs change
Home care isn’t set in stone. As needs shift – a little more help here, something different there – the plan can shift with them, and a reassessment is available whenever circumstances change more significantly.
The best arrangements are the ones that keep pace with the person, so keep the conversation going with your provider rather than waiting for a review to come around.
You don’t have to hold all this in your head
That’s a lot of steps to keep track of, especially while you’re also just being there for someone you love. Read our handy guide on the early signs and start to have a think and work through it at your own pace, ticking things off as you go.
And when you’re ready to take the first step, we’re here to guide you through every one that follows – from the first phone call to the first cup of tea with your carer.
