Getting help at home

Home help services can help you and the person you care for with everyday needs.

What help can you get at home

Services include:

• help with showering, going to the toilet and other personal care
• cooking, cleaning, gardening or other chores
• food services, such as delivering cooked meals
• transport to go shopping, to appointments or to other events
• minor home maintenance and repairs, such as replacing tap washers
• nursing care, such as wound dressing
• other health therapies, such as physiotherapy

How to get help at home

You can get home help from many organisations:

• Australian Government
  • National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) – can provide personal care, home help and home modifications for people with disability. If the person you care for can get support from the scheme, a planner will work with them to develop a plan that meets their needs and goals
  • My Aged Care – can give people aged over 65 (or 50 and over for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people) help at home through the Commonwealth Home Support Programme or Home Care Packages. Depending on income, they may be asked to pay some of the cost. An Aged Care Assessment Team decides what help they may be able to get
  • Veterans’ Home Care – can provide home help, including cleaning and ironing, for eligible veterans
• States and territory governments
  • Northern Territory – Aged care services
  • Queensland – Community and home care services
  • South Australia – Home and community care services for older people or Aboriginal Home Care
  • Tasmania – Home and Community Care
  • Victoria – Home and Community Care Program
  • Western Australia – Home and Community Care
  • (note: the Australian Capital Territory and New South Wales do not have separate services)
• Local government – such as the Mornington Peninsula Shire’s in-home support program
• Nongovernment and not-for-profit organisations – provide home care services across Australia. The services might be free or subsidised (cheaper for you), or you might have to pay for services

Carer Gateway (call 1800 422 737) and My Aged Care (call 1800 200 422) can tell you more about the home help you can get.

If you need help with the NDIS system, visit the Carers Australia website.