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Personal care
Showering, dressing, medication reminders, morning routines. Discreet support that protects dignity.
Aged care at home
Stay in the home you love.
With the support you deserve.
Thoughtful, consistent in-home aged care across Melbourne and the Mornington Peninsula. Same familiar faces. Week after week.
Who we support
Who we're here for.
We support older Australians who want to keep living at home — with the right help, at the right moment. You might be someone who:
- Is aged 65+ (or 50+ for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians)
- Wants to continue living at home, surrounded by what's familiar
- Needs help with day-to-day activities — cleaning, cooking, getting around
- Would like more connection, more company, more rhythm
- Needs support after a hospital stay or a change in health
- Wants a provider that values relationships over rostering
Not sure where to start?
Feeling overwhelmed? We're here to help.
Navigating aged care can feel confusing and emotional. Book a complimentary, no-obligation chat — we'll help you understand My Aged Care, explain funding in plain English, and explore the options that suit your situation. No pressure, no expectation to engage our services.
See how we can helpServices offered
How we help.
Practical support that fits around the life you want to keep living.
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Domestic assistance
Keeping the home clean, tidy and comfortable — the way you like it.
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Home & garden help
Light maintenance, garden care, seasonal jobs that are harder to manage alone.
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Meal preparation
Nutritious, familiar meals made in your kitchen — not reheated from a factory.
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Transport & community access
Appointments, shopping, visits with friends, the Saturday markets. Getting out matters.
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Respite & family support
A break for the person doing the caring, with peace of mind that someone familiar is there.
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Social support
Companionship, conversation, someone to share a cup of tea with. Often the most important of all.
Funding made simple
The funding side, explained simply.
Most families find the funding system more confusing than the care itself. Here's a plain-English version of how it usually works.
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My Aged Care.
The government's entry point. A short phone call or online check leads to a face-to-face assessment, which determines what level of support you qualify for.
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Support at Home (live since 1 November 2025).
The program that replaced Home Care Packages. More flexible, faster to start, designed around the person. We can walk you through this.
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Private arrangements.
If you'd rather not go through the government system (or you're waiting), you can engage us directly. No waiting lists, no assessments, just support.
Support at Home
Your questions answered.
General information for older Australians and their families. For advice about your own situation, contact My Aged Care on 1800 200 422 or speak with the Lyft Community team.
The basics
What is the Support at Home program?
Support at Home is the Australian Government's in-home aged care program. It funds services that help older people stay safe, well and independent in their own homes for longer, with care tailored to each person's assessed needs.
When did it start, and what did it replace?
Support at Home began on 1 November 2025. It replaced the Home Care Packages program and the Short-Term Restorative Care program, bringing in-home aged care under one simpler, more flexible system.
Who is it for?
Older Australians who need support to keep living at home — whether that's help around the house, personal care, social connection, nursing or allied health. Your eligibility and level of funding are decided through an aged care assessment.
Getting started
How do I apply?
If you're new to aged care, apply through My Aged Care — online at myagedcare.gov.au or by calling 1800 200 422. An assessor will visit to understand your needs and goals.
What happens after my assessment?
If you're approved, the assessment organisation sends you a Notice of Decision letter. It sets out the services you're approved for, your support plan and referral code, any short-term support approved, the reasons for the decision, and your right to have it reviewed if you disagree.
How is my place prioritised?
Funding is released using priority categories assigned at assessment — Urgent, High, Medium or Standard. Higher-priority applicants receive their funding sooner. Wait times vary, so we recommend confirming current timeframes with My Aged Care.
How funding works
Eight classification levels
Instead of the old four Home Care Package levels, Support at Home has eight classifications. Each carries a different budget matched more closely to your needs. Annual funding ranges from around $10,731 at Classification 1 up to about $78,106 at Classification 8. Figures are indexed each 1 July, so confirm current amounts with My Aged Care or with us.
Quarterly budgets
Your budget is released in four quarterly instalments across the year (July, October, January and April), giving you flexibility to plan your care.
Unspent funds
You can carry over up to 10%, or $1,000 (whichever is greater), of unspent funds into the next quarter — useful for larger or future needs.
Care management
Up to 10% of each quarterly budget covers care management — the coordination, monitoring and support that keeps your care plan working for you.
What you'll pay
The three service categories
Every Support at Home service falls into one of three categories, and what you contribute depends on the category and your financial circumstances:
- Clinical care — nursing, allied health and other health services. The Government pays 100%; you contribute nothing.
- Independence — personal care, social support and community engagement, transport, respite, assistive technology and home modifications. Full pensioners contribute around 5%, part-pensioners between 5% and 50%, and self-funded retirees up to 50%.
- Everyday living — domestic help, meals, gardening and home maintenance. Full pensioners contribute around 17.5%, part-pensioners between 17.5% and 80%, and self-funded retirees up to 80%.
Personal care becoming free
From 1 October 2026, the Government will fully fund personal care. If personal care is approved in your support plan, you'll be able to access it at no out-of-pocket cost.
A lifetime cap protects you
There's a lifetime cap on the contributions you can be asked to pay (around $135,318 as at 1 November 2025). Once you reach it, you make no further contributions. People moving from a Home Care Package may have a lower cap under "no worse off" protections.
Already receiving care?
I have a Home Care Package — what do I do?
Nothing. If you were receiving a Home Care Package, you were automatically transitioned to Support at Home and your services continued without interruption. Your unspent funds carried across with you.
Will I be worse off?
If you were receiving, or assessed as eligible for, a Home Care Package before 12 September 2024, "no worse off" protections apply. Your budget and out-of-pocket costs for comparable non-clinical support won't be higher because of the program change.
What if my needs change?
You or your provider (with your consent) can request a care plan review or reassessment through My Aged Care at any time.
What you can use your funding for
What can my funding cover?
Support at Home can fund a wide range of services when they're part of your care plan, including:
- Personal care (showering, dressing, grooming)
- Nursing and clinical care
- Allied health (physiotherapy, occupational therapy, podiatry and more)
- Domestic assistance (cleaning, laundry)
- Meal preparation and delivery
- Social support, companionship and community engagement
- Transport to appointments and activities
- Respite to support family carers
- Home maintenance and minor repairs (gardening, light bulbs, gutters)
- Assistive technology and home modifications
Stricter rules apply to general goods and household expenses, and some items (such as major renovations, holidays and everyday living costs) can't be funded. We'll help you understand exactly what your plan covers.
Beyond the everyday: short-term pathways
Restorative Care Pathway
Intensive, time-limited support to regain independence after a setback such as illness or a fall.
End-of-Life Pathway
Additional support to remain comfortably at home in the final months of life.
Assistive Technology and Home Modifications (AT-HM) Scheme
Separate funding tiers for equipment (walking frames, mobility aids) and home changes (grab rails, ramps) that keep you safe and independent.
Good to know
Single Assessment System
The former ACAT and other assessment teams are now one workforce, so there's a single pathway to assessment.
Published pricing and price caps
Providers publish their prices, and Government price caps apply from 1 July 2026, making it easier to compare value.
CHSP is separate
If you receive entry-level services through the Commonwealth Home Support Programme, those continue separately and aren't transitioning to Support at Home before 1 July 2027.
Funding amounts, contribution rates and caps are indexed and change over time. Information current as a general guide; confirm details for your circumstances with My Aged Care (1800 200 422) or the Lyft Community team.
How to get started
Three calm steps to getting started.
- Step 01
A 15-minute chat.
We learn what's happening, what matters, and what support might look like. No pressure, no commitment.
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A home visit.
We come to you. We listen. We meet the person the care is for, and the family around them.
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A careful start.
A small, consistent team is matched to you. Support begins at a pace that feels right — often lighter at first, building as trust grows.
From the families we support
In their words.
“For the first time in months, Mum feels settled. She knows who's coming through the door — and that's made all the difference.”
— Cathy
Daughter · Mornington Peninsula
“Six months in and I still get a text from Bridee on the days she's not the one rostered. Just to check in.”
— Margaret
Frankston
“I didn't know how worn out I was until I had a Saturday off. The respite has changed our family.”
— A family carer
Mt Martha
FAQ
Questions families often ask.
How quickly can support start?
For private arrangements, often within a week. For government-funded support, it depends on where you are in the My Aged Care process. We'll help you move through it.
Will Mum/Dad have the same support worker every time?
As much as possible, yes. We build small, consistent teams — usually 2–3 people who rotate — so your parent isn't meeting someone new each visit.
What areas do you serve?
Melbourne and the Mornington Peninsula. From Frankston through to Portsea, and across inner and bayside Melbourne suburbs.
Can we change the level of support as needs change?
Yes. Needs shift — that's normal. We adjust the roster, the hours, and the type of support as things evolve.
Do you work with people who have dementia?
Yes. Consistency matters even more when memory is changing, and it's something we do particularly well.
Let's talk
Let's talk about what support could look like for you.
A 15-minute conversation. No pressure, no hard sell. Just a chance to hear where you're at, and see if we're the right fit.
0418 828 518