See what care really costs before you commit

When you start to compare home care providers, it can feel like everyone is speaking a different language. Hourly rates, provider fees, client contributions, supplements and inclusions all add up to one big question: how many real care hours will I actually get from my funding?

Under the new Support at Home program, your funding is paid quarterly and providers can set their own prices within government rules. That means two clients on the same classification and funding level can get very different amounts of support, depending on which provider they choose and how transparent that provider is about costs.

This plain-English checklist is designed to help you compare home care providers confidently before you sign anything, so you can see both cost and value.

Why it matters to compare home care providers

Support at Home replaced the old Home Care Package program and Short-Term Restorative Care from 1 November 2025. It keeps the focus on helping older Australians stay well, comfortable and connected at home, but the way budgets and contributions work has changed.

Key points:

• Funding is based on your assessed classification level (1 to 8) and paid as a quarterly budget

• You may also have short-term funding for things like the Restorative Care Pathway, End-of-Life Pathway or the AT-HM scheme for equipment and home modifications

• Most clients now pay contributions for some services, with different rules for clinical, independence and everyday living supports

On top of that, each provider decides:

• Their hourly rates for services

• Their care management and overhead fees

• How much help you get with planning, budgeting and booking services

Those choices directly affect how many care hours you get from the same funding. Trilogy Care’s self-managed clients typically receive 30 to 40% more care hours than those with fully managed providers because they can agree local rates with trusted workers instead of being locked into fixed, higher prices.

A simple checklist to compare provider rates, fees and inclusions

Use this checklist as you compare home care providers. Ask each one the same questions and write down the answers so you can compare like-for-like.

1. Service rates: what will I pay per hour?

For each provider, ask for their current price list, as Support at Home requires clear service lists and prices. Check:

• Domestic assistance hourly rate on weekdays

• Personal care hourly rate

• Nursing and allied health rates

• Weekend, evening and public holiday rates

• Minimum shift length (for example, 1 hour or 2 hours)

• Any call-out or travel charges

Then ask: “If I spent my whole quarterly budget on basic weekday domestic assistance, roughly how many hours would that give me with your rates?” This is one of the clearest ways to compare home care providers on value.

2. Provider fees: what comes out before my care?

Next, look beyond the hourly rate. Ask each provider to clearly explain:

• Care management fee or percentage taken from your budget

• Any additional administration or statement fees

• Exit fees (many providers have reduced or removed these, but it is still worth checking)

• Fees for coordinating third-party workers or platforms

Your goal is to see how much of your funding goes to actual services compared with overheads. Trilogy Care’s model is built to keep more of your funding going to real support, not layers of internal costs.

3. Inclusions: what do I get for those fees?

Two providers might charge a similar care management fee, but include very different levels of support. Ask what is included in their standard service:

• Help designing your care plan and budget each quarter

• Regular check-ins with a dedicated care partner

• Help finding and verifying local support workers

• Help with adjusting your mix of services as your needs change

• Easy ways to view your budget, upcoming services and past invoices, such as a portal or printed statements

If you were approved for or receiving a Home Care Package on or before 12 September 2024, also ask how the provider protects your status as a grandfathered client under the “no worse off” principle for contributions.

4. Choice and control: how much say do I really have?

Support at Home is designed around client choice and control. The question is whether each provider reinforces or restricts that in practice.

Ask:

• Can I choose my own support workers, including trusted locals?

• Can I agree my own rates with workers, within my budget?

• What happens if a worker is not the right fit, and how quickly can I change?

• Can my family or a care partner be involved in decisions, with my consent?

Self-managed models like Trilogy Care give you strong control over who comes into your home, when they visit and how they support you, with our team in the background to guide and safeguard the process.

5. Budget activation: how will you help me use my full quarterly budget?

Under Support at Home, your core funding resets each quarter, with only limited carryover allowed. If you under-use your budget, those unused hours are effectively lost.

When you compare home care providers, ask:

• Will you help me plan my services across the quarter so I do not under-use my budget?

• Do you track my usage and warn me if I am under-spending?

• Do your statements or portal clearly show my missed care, which is the share of budget not yet activated as services?

• How easy is it to add extra services if I have funds remaining late in the quarter?

Providers who actively help you use what is yours this quarter turn funding into real support, not unused dollars on a statement.

Questions to ask about your own costs and protections

As you compare home care providers, make sure you also understand your personal obligations and safeguards:

• How will my client contributions be worked out, and who tells me the amount?

• If my income changes, how do contributions change?

• What happens to unspent funds if I switch providers later?

• How do you handle complaints or concerns if I feel I am not getting good value?

Having clear answers up front helps you avoid surprises later.

How Trilogy Care helps you see the real cost and value

At Trilogy Care, our focus is simple: more hours, more choice, less complexity.

When you choose Trilogy Care:

• More care hours from the same funding: Self-managed clients typically receive 30 to 40% more care hours by using trusted locals at local rates instead of fixed provider prices

• Your care, your call: You choose who comes into your home and when, with our team verifying workers, handling the paperwork and supporting safe, high-quality care

• Make every care hour matter: We help you plan each quarter, monitor your usage and adjust services so more of your funding turns into real support and less is left unused

We also keep our language and our processes in plain-English. You get clear service lists, transparent rates and monthly statements that show exactly what was delivered and what is planned next, so you stay in control of both your care and your budget.

If you are ready to compare home care providers, start with one simple step: ask each provider to walk through this checklist with you. The right partner will not rush you, hide costs or avoid questions. They will help you understand your options so you can confidently choose the provider that gives you the best mix of cost, control and care.

So if you’re ready to experience life-changing care, call Trilogy Care on 1300 459 190 today.