Aged Care in Australia — From My Aged Care Registration to Cost Structures
My Aged Care, the starting point for government-subsidised aged care — a process-focused guide covering registration and assessment, Support at Home home care and residential aged care, cost structures, and protecting your rights.
Overview — everything starts with My Aged Care
To access government-subsidised aged care in Australia, every service goes through a single gateway called My Aged Care. You register online (myagedcare.gov.au) or by phone (1800 200 422), and free interpreting (TIS National, 131 450) is available, so families who have been putting it off because of limited English can start right away. The new Aged Care Act took effect on 1 November 2025, significantly reforming the assessment system and home support programs (this guide reflects the post-reform arrangements; details may continue to be adjusted).
Home care and residential care — the two main pathways
Government-subsidised care falls broadly into home-based care with support at home (Support at Home) and residential aged care, where the person lives in a facility with 24-hour care. Which one you can access is determined by the assessment outcome and can be adjusted later as circumstances change. There are also short-term programs bridging the two, such as respite care and transition care (recovery-period care).
Application process — 5 steps from registration to starting services
The process runs in this order: ① register with My Aged Care → ② assessment → ③ approval and support level decision → ④ search for and choose a provider (find-a-provider) → ⑤ start services and agree on costs. The person can register themselves or a family member can act as a representative, and registering on someone's behalf requires their consent.
How the assessment works
Under the new system, assessments are unified under the Single Assessment System: an assessor visits the home to check health conditions, capacity for daily living, and the living environment. The assessment itself is free. Rather than trying to appear to be coping well, describe the actual difficulties honestly and as they are — that is how the appropriate level of support gets allocated.
- Prepare a Medicare card and identity documents, and if a family member is applying on the person's behalf, complete the consent process first
Eligibility — age and residency requirements
Government-subsidised aged care is generally for people aged 65 and over (50 and over for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people). You must be living in Australia, and the range of services available may vary by visa type and permanent residency status, so it is most accurate to confirm individual eligibility directly with My Aged Care.
- Age criteria: 65 and over (50 and over for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people) — knowing the process in advance, even before reaching the age threshold, lets you act quickly in a crisis
- Disability support for people under 65 is handled by the NDIS — NDIS applications must be made before turning 65, so check urgently if you are near that age boundary
4 types of care
Government-subsidised care comes in four main types. Whichever type you use, the starting point is a My Aged Care assessment, and moving between types (home to facility, facility to home) is possible as circumstances change.
The new home support system that started in November 2025. Domestic help, personal care, nursing, home safety modifications, transport assistance, and more are used within a budget set by classification level determined at assessment. The existing CHSP (entry-level home support) continues to operate separately for the time being.
Living in a facility with 24-hour care and nursing. Chosen when home support alone is no longer enough for safe living; entry requires assessment approval and a means assessment by Services Australia.
A service that cares for the older person for a short period (at home, at a day centre, or in a facility) so caring family members can rest or attend to other things. It is an official program designed to prevent carer burnout, so use it without guilt.
A short-term program providing rehabilitation and care during the recovery period when going straight home or into a facility after a hospital stay is difficult. Arrange it before discharge by talking with the hospital's social worker and medical team.
Cost structure — understand the framework, leave the calculations to official agencies
Many families delay applying out of fear of the costs, but the basic structure is simple: the government covers a large share, and your contribution is set according to your capacity to pay. The points below are an overview to help you understand the structure only — actual amounts are confirmed solely through a means assessment by Services Australia. This guide is not financial advice.
- The basic structure of residential aged care costs: three layers — a basic daily fee + additional means-tested contributions + accommodation costs
- For Support at Home, the government's share varies by the nature of the service and your contribution is based on capacity to pay — detailed rates and caps may be adjusted after the reforms, so check the latest on official sites
5 common misconceptions and things to watch out for
Misconceptions about aged care delay applications and wear families out. Care recipients' rights are guaranteed by a statement of rights set out in law (the Statement of Rights), and if problems arise you can lodge a complaint with the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission and use OPAN's free advocacy. Here are the most common misconceptions, corrected.
- The myth that "you have to pay for everything yourself" — government subsidy is the default structure, your contribution is set by capacity to pay, and financial hardship assistance is also available.
- The myth that "once you enter a facility, that's it" — moving between facilities and returning home are both possible. Entering residential care is simply a choice matched to the needs of that moment.
Useful official links
- My Aged Care(opens in a new window)
The single gateway to government-subsidised aged care — registration and assessment applications, the official find-a-provider search, and interpreter support information
- 호주 보건부 — Aged Care(opens in a new window)
The Australian Department of Health aged care policy page — source material on the new Aged Care Act and the Support at Home reforms
- Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission(opens in a new window)
The aged care quality and safety regulator — lodge service complaints (1800 951 822) and check Star Ratings for residential aged care homes