Delivering services under the Home Care Packages Program

Approved providers can offer certain types of services under the Home Care Packages Program. These include services like personal and clinical care, help with household chores and preparing meals, and mobility support. There are also certain services you cannot provide.

Services you can provide

You can use Home Care Package funding to provide:

  • personal care – such as help with showering and hygiene
  • communication support – such as help with using the phone or hearing aids
  • dietary support – such as help with nutrition and preparing meals
  • skin care – such as bandages and dressings
  • continence care – such as disposable pads, commode chairs and bedpans
  • mobility support – such as crutches, handrails, wheelchairs and bed rails
  • support services – such as cleaning, gardening and transport
  • social support – such as help to take part in social activities and access emergency services
  • care management – such as reviewing agreements and making sure services are suitable
  • clinical care – such as nursing, podiatry, physiotherapy and hearing services

You can subcontract out services to meet the needs of your care recipients if you cannot provide them yourself. You are still accountable for these services and must still carry out your provider responsibilities.

Services you cannot provide

You cannot use Home Care Package funding to pay for:

  • items that would usually be paid for with general income, such as household bills and other basic living expenses
  • food, unless it is part of enteral feeding needs
  • permanent accommodation costs, such as mortgage payments or rent
  • home care fees
  • home modifications or capital items that do not relate to care needs
  • travel or accommodation for holidays
  • entertainment such as club memberships or tickets to sporting events
  • gambling
  • services or items covered by Medicare or the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme
  • fees or charges for other types of care that the Australian Government fully or partly funds

Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP) services

In some cases, people receiving Home Care Packages can also get short-term subsidised CHSP services. Find out more by reading the CHSP interaction with Home Care Packages in the CHSP manual.

To see whether they’re eligible for extra CHSP services, the person must contact My Aged Care for an assessment.

What you need to do

Include services in care plans

You must include all the services you provide to a person in their care plan.

The services in a Home Care Package should meet all of a person's care needs. If they have used up their package budget, they can buy extra services from you for an agreed price.

Publish details about your services

You must publish your services on My Aged Care so they appear when people search for home care services.

You do this by entering your services details in the My Aged Care service provider portal. Watch our video on setting up Home Care Package services to find out how.

Review care plans

You should have regular and ongoing care discussions with people in your care.

If their care needs have changed, consider and discuss their options. Depending on their care needs, this may include:

Legislation

For full details, go to: 

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