Knowing how to compare Home Care Package providers and what to look for will help you when choosing your Home Care Package provider. There are a range of different costs, fees, and factors that you should consider if you make your own Home Care Package provider comparison. In this guide, we’ll compare several Home Care Package providers based on the information they have supplied on My Aged Care’s find a provider tool for a level 1 Home Care Package. Two traditional Home Care Package providers and two self-managed Home Care Package providers were used for this comparison. These costs and fees are for a level 1 Home Care Package – higher level packages will have comparatively higher costs and fees.
Home Care Package provider non-compliance
The Australian Government carries out regular assessments of Home Care Package providers to ensure that they are meeting the aged care quality standards and are appropriately using funds. It’s important that you know in advance if a package provider has any previous records of non-compliance, so you can start your services with some peace of mind. You can find if a particular provider has had any issues with non-compliance through My Aged Care’s find a provider tool. You can also search for non-compliance within a specific location, organisation name, or date range using My Aged Care’s non-compliance checker. Non-compliance reports can also be found through My Aged Care’s find a report tool.
What you contribute
Under Support at Home, what you contribute depends on your income, your assets and the type of service. Services Australia sets your rate, not your provider.
You contribute nothing toward clinical supports such as nursing and physiotherapy. Since 1 October 2026 that includes personal care, such as showering and dressing. Independence services such as social support and respite carry a moderate contribution, and everyday living services such as cleaning and gardening carry the highest.
Care management and what it costs
Under Support at Home there is no separate package management fee. Package management, administration and travel have to be built into the price of each service rather than charged on top, so a provider's price list has to show the full price for each service with nothing for those items added later.
Care management is separate and is set by the government, not by providers. Ten per cent of each quarterly budget is set aside for care management. Your provider claims it from an account Services Australia holds, pooled across that provider's clients, to cover coordinating and adjusting your services as your needs change.
For what Trilogy Care charges, in dollars against your own funding level, see our pricing page.
Exit fees
Exit fees are not permitted under Support at Home, so no provider can charge you one for leaving. If you are comparing providers, the thing worth checking is the notice period in your service agreement, because that is set by each provider and does vary.
You are not required to remain with a provider you are unhappy with. Your funding moves with you.
Travel costs
Travel cannot be charged to you separately under Support at Home. It has to be built into the price of the service, so a provider quoting you an hourly rate is quoting you the full cost including getting to your door. If you are comparing, compare the hourly prices rather than looking for a travel line.
Hourly rates for service types
The hourly rates for various services vary greatly between traditional providers and self-managed providers. Traditional providers employ their own workforce, meaning you must pay high hourly rates, often for carers you don’t even know and at times that don’t work for you. Self-managed providers give you more flexibility in choosing your own carers, so you only have to pay the rates you are comfortable in paying. These hourly rates are estimates provided by each provider on the My Aged Care website. As we can see in our provider comparison, Trilogy Care has much lower hourly rates for every service. These low rates mean you can use your Home Care Package funds to double your care hours compared to a traditional provider! The wealth of experience the care management team has in aged care allows Trilogy Care to offer these unbeatable hourly rate estimates.
Traditional Home Care Package providers
Traditional Home Care Package providers do offer a few benefits compared to self-managed home care package providers. They are a very hands free home care option, and can be suitable for senior Australians who do not worry about needing flexibility or control over their home care. Under Support at Home the price you are quoted for each service has to include package management, administration and travel, and no provider can charge an entry or exit fee, so the comparison comes down to hourly prices and the care management rate, which is the same 10 per cent whoever you choose. Traditional home care package providers use their own workforce, meaning you won’t be able to choose the carers and services that you want, when you want, where you want.
Self-managed Home Care Package providers
Self-managed home care package providers offer senior Australians more control and flexibility over their care, by letting them choose the carers and services that they want. This rapidly growing approach to home care costs much less, helping senior Australians to get the most out of their home care package budget! But not all self-managed providers are created equal. Under Support at Home every provider has to build package management, administration and travel into the price of each service, and care management is the same 10 per cent whoever you choose, so the comparison comes down to the hourly prices for the services you actually use. For what Trilogy Care charges, see our pricing page. The extensive experience the Trilogy Care team has in aged care means that we can offer incredibly low hourly rates, giving you even more hours of care. If you are worried about using a carer marketplace or think you may need some extra help with choosing your own carers under a self-managed Home Care Package, Trilogy Care also offers a Self-Management Plus package. In this package, you will be assigned a dedicated Care Coordinator who will help you to find and choose your own carer workforce. Make sure to check out our comprehensive guide on the difference between self-managed and fully managed home care packages. If you’re not happy with your current provider and you’re looking to switch, you’ll love our guide on the steps to switch Home Care Package providers. Make sure you also know the questions to ask when looking for a Home Care Package providers.
See how your current provider compares on fees
Frequently asked questions
Compare the hourly prices for the services you will actually use. Package management, administration and travel are built into those prices rather than charged separately, and care management is a set 10 per cent of your quarterly budget whoever you choose. Also ask how quickly they can start, whether they support self-management, and whether you can keep your own workers.
Yes. Your funding stays with you rather than with the provider, so it moves when you do. You are not required to remain with a provider you are unhappy with.
Not necessarily. If you self-manage, you choose your own workers and service providers, so they can continue with you as long as they meet compliance requirements. Ask any provider you are considering whether they support this before you decide.
No. Exit fees are not permitted under Support at Home, so no provider can charge you one for leaving. Trilogy Care also does not require a notice period. Other providers set theirs in the service agreement, so check what you signed.
Timeframes vary by provider and by your circumstances. Ask any provider you are considering to tell you their current timeframe before you commit.
Your funding moves with you, including unspent funds for ongoing services. Unspent Support at Home funds roll over each quarter up to $1,000 or 10 per cent of your quarterly budget, whichever is higher. If you transitioned from a Home Care Package and held unspent funds as at 31 October 2025, those sit in a separate budget that is not subject to the quarterly carryover cap, and the government-held portion becomes available to your new provider immediately.
