Introduction to Community Aged Care services
My Aged Care is the national entry point for accessing Australian Government‑funded aged care services, overseen by the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing. It connects older people and their carers with assessment services to identify the type and level of support they need and to access government‑subsidised aged care programs.
There are two main community‑based aged care programs managed through My Aged Care:
• Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP) – for entry‑level, lower‑intensity support
• Support at Home (SaH) program – for people who need more coordinated, ongoing, or complex support needs
The Support at Home program provides a tailored, budget‑based model designed for older people who require more intensive or ongoing help at home. During your aged care assessment, the assessor identifies what you can manage independently and what you need help with. Your funding is then matched to those assessed needs.
Under Support at Home, clients are assigned an Ongoing Support Classification (1–8) or one of three short‑term pathways (Restorative Care, Assistive Technology & Home Modifications, or End‑of‑Life). Higher classifications provide a larger budget to match higher or more complex care needs.
Support at Home operates under a Consumer Directed Care (CDC) approach, giving people choice and control over how their services are delivered. Funding can only be used for the services approved during the aged care assessment