The Multi-Purpose Service Program (MPSP) provides integrated health and aged care services for older people living in rural and remote areas.
These are communities that cannot support a stand-alone hospital or aged care home.
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What services are available?
Older people can access residential aged care services through their local multi-purpose service (MPS), which will also offer one or more health services. Some MPS also deliver residential respite services, and services in the home or community.
Services in an aged care home
An MPS can provide:
- accommodation – your room and all the things that come with it, such as your furniture and bedding
- services to meet your day-to-day needs – meals, laundry, social activities, cleaning, heating and cooling, and upkeep of the grounds and building
- personal and clinical care – help with bathing, eating, medications and health treatments, and special bedding, nursing, speech therapy, podiatry (foot care) and physiotherapy.
Some MPS also provide respite care. This gives a short-term break to carers and those they care for. There is no limit to the number of respite care days available per year to someone receiving aged care services through the MPSP. The length of stay is negotiated directly with the MPSP provider.
Services in the home or community
Some MPS can also provide aged care services in your home or community. Services are tailored to your needs to help you stay in your own home, and can include:
- clinical care – nursing, occupational therapy and podiatry
- independence – help with showering, taking medications, transport and respite care
- everyday living – cleaning, gardening, shopping and meal preparation.
MPSP service providers
There are many providers serving rural and remote areas. View the list of MPSP providers.
Accessing care from an MPSP provider
To access the MPSP, you need to contact My Aged Care by applying online or calling 1800 200 422. You can also make an appointment for a face-to-face meeting with an Aged Care Specialist Officer at a Services Australia office by calling 1800 227 475.
The My Aged Care team will take some of your details and, if you are eligible, arrange for an assessment.
The assessor will also discuss the options for where you may access the services that you need, based on the aged care services available in your region. They will tell you if you are approved to access MPS services.
Find out more about how to apply for an assessment.
After your assessment
To access services through your local MPS, you will need to be approved. After approval, you will be given a referral code, which you can give to your chosen MPSP provider.
Your chosen provider will develop your care plan with you. This will identify your needs, preferences, goals and the types of services you’ll receive.
The provider will also draw up an agreement for you to sign. This will outline any fees that may be payable, a start date, how your personal information will be treated and how to make a complaint or end services.
Read more about Assessment outcome: Multi-Purpose Service Program
What will I have to pay?
MPSP providers can charge a specialist aged care program fee to help cover the costs of daily living like meals, cleaning, laundry, heating and cooling. Aged care program fees cannot be more than:
- 85% of the basic age pension amount (worked out on a per-day basis) for residential care, or
- 17.5% of the basic age pension amount (worked out on a per-day basis) for home support, assistive technology or home modifications service.
For MPSP residential care, MPSP providers can only charge you an accommodation payment to cover the costs of accommodation in certain circumstances. This can only occur if your means assessment indicates you are not generally eligible for government assistance with your accommodation costs, or if insufficient information was provided for a means assessment.
Accommodation payments, when required, can be paid in two forms: a refundable accommodation deposit (RAD) or a daily accommodation payment (DAP). Your MPSP provider will talk to you about the room price. The current maximum room price is $750,000.
Other services for older people in rural and remote areas
To make sure people living in rural and remote areas have access to similar services to people living in cities, the Australian Government has programs and services in these areas. Find out more about support for older people living in rural and remote areas.