Once you’ve been approved for services under the Support at Home program, the next step is to connect with an aged care provider in your local area that offers the support you need.
This page outlines the key steps to find and connect with the right provider for your situation.
Step 1 – Check your assessment
Before connecting with a provider, it’s important to have first been assessed and approved for aged care services. If you were approved, you will have received a Notice of Decision letter and support plan outlining your approved Support at Home services. This may include approval for short-term care, such as assistive technology and/or home modifications, the Restorative Care Pathway, or the End-of-Life Pathway.
It’s helpful to have this information on hand when searching for a provider to make sure they can offer all the services you have been approved for.
Once you have received a letter notifying your funding is available to use, you have 56 calendar days from the date on your letter to find a provider and sign a service agreement. If you need more time, you can ask My Aged Care for another 28 days to find a provider.
Learn more about getting assessed.
Step 2 – Find a provider near you
There are a few ways to find a suitable provider:
- Ask your assessor to refer you to a local provider, who will then contact you directly.
- Use our Find a provider tool to browse local providers that match your needs and preferences online.
- Call My Aged Care on 1800 200 422 for guidance.
Finding providers that deliver the Restorative Care Pathway
To find a provider that delivers Restorative Care Pathway services:
- visit the Find a provider tool
- select 'Support at Home program' under ‘Care Program’
- select 'restorative care management' which you can find under ‘Services’, within ‘Maintaining my health and wellbeing’
You can also contact My Aged Care if you need assistance locating a Restorative Care Pathway provider.
Comparing and choosing providers
Every provider is different. It’s good to compare what is available to determine the best match for you.
You can use the filters in Find a provider to help you find local services that best match your needs, starting with your location and the services you’ve been approved for.
When you find potential providers using the tool, you can shortlist them to save them in My Guide. You can then compare your shortlisted providers side by side to find your best option.
Below are some things you could consider when comparing and choosing a provider. All of this information can be found within Find a provider.
Step 3 – Contact providers
Once you have a shortlist of providers, it’s a good idea to contact them. Talking to them gives you the chance to ask questions and helps you understand what to expect. At this stage, you don’t have to commit to a provider. You can choose not to go with a provider for any reason.
How you can prepare for your meeting
Before meeting with a provider, it’s helpful to have a good understanding of your needs, goals and preferences. This will help you in the discussion to work out if they are a good fit for you. The services you need will be outlined in your Notice of Decision letter and support plan—take some time to learn more about what these services include.
It can also be helpful to write out any questions you plan to ask. This could be about their organisation, service offering and availability, costs and quality.
What to take with you
To help with the conversation, you should bring a copy of your:
- Notice of Decision letter
- support plan
- income and means assessment outcome (if you have it)
- list of questions for the provider (if you have one).
Who can come with you
There can be a lot of information to take in at your meeting with a provider, so bringing a family member, friend, or carer with you to an appointment can be helpful. You always have a right to support, so feel free to include someone close to you or ask for advocacy support.
Discuss how your family can be included in your decision making and how the provider will include your family member or carer in your care plan.
Step 4 – Choose your provider
It’s important to note that you will need to access all of your Support at Home services from a single provider. Before settling on a provider, make sure they can offer all of the services you have been assessed for.
After you’re comfortable with a provider and decide to access their services, give them the referral code you received in your Notice of Decision letter. This will enable them to see your assessment information and support plan, and start developing a care plan with you. A care plan outlines your needs, goals, preferences and how the provider will be able to support these.
You will also need to enter into a service agreement with your chosen provider. This is a legal document that sets out the services you will receive, who will provide them, and how much they will cost. You must agree to this before services can begin.
Short-term care pathways
If you’re accessing short-term pathways under Support at Home, how you choose and connect with your provider may differ slightly from accessing ongoing services.