The Home Care Packages Program is an Australian Government initiative that helps seniors live independently in their own homes. It provides funding for a range of care services, allowing you to choose the support you need, from the providers you prefer, for as long as you like.

To access a Home Care Package, you’ll need to complete an aged care assessment to determine your eligibility. If approved, you’ll be assigned a package when one becomes available. From there, you can partner with your chosen provider to select the services that best suit your needs, using the government funding allocated to you each year.

After completing your aged care assessment, you will be placed in the National Priority System if you are eligible for a Home Care Package. This system considers both the level of care you need, as determined in your assessment, and the date you were approved for a package. Once a package becomes available, it will be assigned to you.

Estimated wait times for a Level 1 Home Care Package are 3–6 months, while higher-level packages typically have wait times of 9–12 months.* You can check your My Aged Care Client Portal for a more specific estimate. If you are approved for a higher-level package, you can choose to accept a lower-level package as soon as one is available or access Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP) services in the meantime. Choosing or declining these options will not affect your place in the priority system—they simply allow you to access support sooner.

In a Fully Managed home care service, the provider takes care of everything—scheduling services, sourcing workers, and managing finances. While this hands-off approach can be convenient, it comes at a cost. You could lose up to 35% of your package funds in high fees, with no flexibility in choosing your own carers.

With Self Managed home care, you stay in control. You choose the services you receive and select your own workers, while your provider handles finances and compliance. At Trilogy Care, you can self-manage for a low flat rate of just 15%, giving you more care hours and greater flexibility.

The Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP) provides basic support to help older Australians live independently at home. If you need ongoing, higher-level care, a Home Care Package (HCP) offers a more comprehensive solution, with a provider coordinating services to meet your needs. In most cases, you cannot receive both CHSP and HCP services at the same time.

For more details on eligibility, funding, and available services, check out our article on the differences between Home Care Packages and the Commonwealth Home Support Programme.