Aged care basics

At some point, you or someone you love may need extra help at home or a move into an aged care home. Knowing how the system works, and what it may cost, makes these decisions less stressful.

Where to start: My Aged Care

My Aged Care is the government’s front door to aged care services. You can:

• Call 1800 200 422.
• Go to https://www.myagedcare.gov.au
• Visit a Services Australia service centre for face-to-face help.

You, a family member or a doctor can contact My Aged Care. They’ll ask some questions, then arrange a free assessment if needed. An assessor visits to understand what help you need and what you’re eligible for.

What changed in 2025

A new Aged Care Act started on 1 November 2025. It’s built around the rights of older people, including the right to make decisions about your own life, to feel safe, and to stay connected with your community.

The main changes:

• Support at Home replaced Home Care Packages as the main program for in-home care.
• New rules for what people pay, in both home care and aged care homes.
• Stronger rules for providers, with a focus on quality and safety.

If you were already getting care, it continued. You don’t need a new assessment unless your needs change.

Help at home: Support at Home

Support at Home funds services that help you stay living in your own home longer. Services fall into three groups:

Your contribution is a percentage of each service’s cost. Full pensioners pay the lowest rates. Part pensioners and Commonwealth Seniors Health Card holders pay rates based on an income and assets assessment. Self-funded retirees without a card pay the most.

There’s a lifetime cap on what you contribute for non-clinical care, across home care and aged care homes. The cap is indexed twice a year.

If you were receiving, or had been approved for, a Home Care Package on or before 12 September 2024, a “no worse off” rule means you won’t pay more than you would have under the old system.

Moving into an aged care home

If living at home is no longer safe or practical, you may move into an aged care home (also called residential care). Costs have several parts:

• Basic daily fee: Everyone pays this. It’s set at 85% of the single basic Age Pension and rises with it.
• Hotelling contribution: For things like meals, cleaning and laundry. Based on your means.
• Non-clinical care contribution: Only for people who can afford the full hotelling contribution. It stops after a lifetime cap is reached or after four years.
• Accommodation: Paid as a lump sum (a refundable accommodation deposit, or RAD), a daily payment, or a mix of both. The government may help with this if your means are low.

Your means assessment is done by Services Australia (or DVA). It looks at your income and assets, including your home in some cases, to work out what you pay.

Where to get free help

• My Aged Care: 1800 200 422, to ask about an assessment.
• Services Australia: for a means assessment so you know what you’re likely to pay.
• Financial Information Service: 132 300, to talk through how aged care costs affect your pension and savings.
• Older Persons Advocacy Network: 1800 700 600, for free, independent advocacy and help with complaints.