Thinking about aged care

Getting help with aged care

We know there are many things to consider when thinking about aged care.

The My Aged Care website can help you find out about the services and support that may be available to you.

Staff in all our service centres can help you with general information about My Aged Care services including:

• care in your home
• after-hospital care
• respite care
• moving into an aged care home
• short-term restorative care.

An Aged Care Specialist Officer (ACSO) can help you in more detail with your aged care matters. You can book an appointment to meet with an ACSO in some of our service centres or using video chat. Read more about My Aged Care face-to-face services.

Understanding aged care costs

If you’ve started your journey with My Aged Care, we can tell you how much you’ll pay towards your aged care costs.

If you’re thinking about a Home Care Package or moving into an aged care home, we can help.

Read more about aged care calculation of your cost of care.

Other payments and services

You may be eligible for a bereavement allowance. This is a short-term income support payment for someone whose partner has recently died. It’s usually paid for up to 14 weeks.

You can access information, support and short-term counselling. If you’re going through a difficult time, find out more about our social work services.

If you have a lot of medical costs, you can claim your Medicare benefits without having to call or visit us. Find out about Medicare claiming.

Other government and community support services

There are a range of other organisations that provide support services and useful information. You can use our Service Finder to locate help in your local area.

You may be able to get more help and concessions when you reach Age Pension age. These include the Pensioner Concession Card and the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card. Read more about the loans and concession cards you can apply for through us and your state government.

The Department of Veterans’ Affairs provides some in-home and community support programs. They focus on assisting you to continue living independently by supporting your:

• health
• wellbeing
• community connection.

Read more on the Department of Veterans’ Affairs website.