My Aged Care

To apply for a Home Care Package you can call My Aged Care or apply online. You will be asked a range of questions to determine that a Home Care Package is appropriate for meeting your needs. Make sure you have your Medicare card handy. If you’re calling on behalf of someone, they will need to be with you to give their verbal consent before you can speak on their behalf. Once the application is submitted, you will be assessed in person to determine the care you require. This assessment is called a Comprehensive Assessment, which is completed by the Aged Care Assessment Team (ACAT). 

After your application is submitted, an ACAT Assessor will visit you in your home and ask a range of questions covering your health, current situation and limitations to help them understand your need for coordinated services. This is called a Comprehensive Assessment. To prepare for this, you may wish to note a list of the things that you struggle with on a day to day basis. It is important o be honest with yourself and the Assessor so they can fully understand your needs. If you get help from others, such as a family member, friend or neighbour, make note of this also. For example, does someone take you shopping or to medical appointments? these are services that can be funded so it is important to look at the 'whole picture'. 

After completion of the comprehensive assessment, if you are approved your level of funding for your package will be determined. Home Care Packages have four levels (1 - 4), and are allocated based on a national priority system. You’ll be notified of your funding level via a letter in the mail and the expected wait time. Funding can take 3-6 months to be assigned, and you may receive referral codes for lower level support you may be able to access as an interim measure. 

If you are approved for a Home Care Package, you will receive written notification of the assignment and level. You may have chosen to accept a lower level Home Care Package as an interim measure whilst awaiting assignment of the approved level. If this is the case, it is important to get started at the level you are assigned, rather than wait. There can be extended wait times for assigned Home Care Packages, especially if you’ve been approved for a level 3 or 4 Package. Once assigned, you will receive a letter from My Aged Care advising you of this. Within this letter is your unique referral code, which your chosen provider will need to commence services.