Getting started

Do you want to access help at home? You will need to have an assessment with My Aged Care. My Aged Care is the Commonwealth Government’s starting point on your aged care journey.

  • 1
    Arrange Aged Care Assessment

    Call My Aged Care on 1800 200 422 or visit their website www.myagedcare.gov.au and arrange for an Aged Care Assessment. You will need your Medicare number and concession card.

  • 2
    Advise your prefered provider

    Advise My Aged Care that your preferred provider is Helping Hand.

  • 3
    After the assessment

    Following the assessment, My Aged Care will let you know the care you are eligible to receive and will give you a referral code (or an allocation code if approved for a Home Care Package).

  • 4
    Contact us

    Contact Helping Hand on 1300 653 600 for more information, to discuss the costs and to start accessing your services.

Connect with us to find out more

If you need more information you can call one of our friendly team members now, or request a callback at a preferred time.

Or if you are ready to register your interest in this service, you can do this online now too.

Advice about Help at Home

Female reception staff member on phone call respite care

Finding the right age care service is really important. We created a podcast to help people do just that by providing information and advice from people both delivering and receiving quality age care.

In the first episode of Age Old Problems: New Aged Care we discuss Home Care. With the help of Jo Carter Jones, Group Manager of Retirement Living and Housing at Helping Hand, and one of our Home Care clients Reg, we’ll help you learn:

  • The difference between Home Care Packages and the Commonwealth Home Support Programme
  • Who is eligible for Home Care
  • What sort of services are available
  • How best to start the process
  • The documentation you need ready, and other tips for making the process run smoothly
  • Where to seek the best advice
  • Why you should be open to help
  • And how accessing Home Care can make a happy life even happier!

You can talk to our Home Care Services team with any queries about your account, on 1300 444 663. You can also contact our Accounts Department on 08 8366 5426 if you are having trouble with a payment. Please have your Client ID number ready – this can be found on the top right-hand side of your Tax Invoice/Statement.

The Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP) supports older people who are still managing well, but want some extra assistance, at home. Home Care Packages (HCP) provide more care and support services on an ongoing basis, for people whose needs are more intensive or complex. Both programs give you support to stay at home, but there are some differences:

CHSP:

  • choose from a set menu of services – there isn’t much flexibility
  • only pay for the services you use
  • dip in and out of the program as you need things
  • have your eligibility assessed by the Regional Assessment Service (RAS).

HCP:

  • a Home Care Coordinator helps you understand the system and work out a care plan that suits your individual needs and preferences
  • you get your own funds to use and can decide how to spend it, rather than choosing from a menu
  • once you have a package, it stays in place for the long term
  • your eligibility is assessed by the Aged Care Assessment Team (ACAT).

The cost of help at home services varies from person to person, depending on what services you are receiving, and your own personal financial situation. The Government may contribute toward your care costs, and you may be asked to contribute towards them too if you can afford it. My Aged Care provides an overview of the costs involved on their website, and we also publish our fees for Home Care Packages and Elevate by Helping Hand on our website.

Transition care provides short-term care after a hospital stay to help you get back on your feet. You can have nursing, physical therapy and personal care services. You will need to have hospital staff arrange an assessment while you are still an inpatient, or you can arrange this yourself by phoning My Aged Care on 1800 200 422.

Qualified nurses can visit clients in their home and make them feel safe and comfortable. They can help with managing wounds, medication, continence and more. They can carry out health assessments and reviews, and help with monitoring blood pressure, oxygen levels and more. Our nurses are a great support for people who are recovering from injury or illness and need some help to get back on their feet.