What you can and cannot purchase with your package
A practical guide to Support at Home inclusions and exclusions, so you can make the most of your funding and avoid surprises.
Important change: The old four-level Home Care Package system was replaced by the Support at Home (SAH) programme on 1 November 2025. If you were on a Home Care Package before that date, you automatically transitioned to Support at Home. The information below reflects the current 2026 rules.
Quick reference: included vs excluded
Use this table to see what your Support at Home funding can typically be used for, and what falls outside the rules.
Generally included
- Personal care (showering, dressing, grooming, toileting)
- Nursing and clinical care — 100% government funded
- Allied health (physio, OT, podiatry, speech pathology, dietetics)
- Domestic assistance (cleaning, laundry, bed making)
- Meal preparation and meal delivery service fees
- Transport to appointments, activities and community access
- Social support and companionship visits
- Safety-related home modifications
- Assistive technology (mobility aids, alarms, pendant)
- Medication management and clinical oversight
- Continence aids and wound care supplies
- In-home respite care
- Carer education and support
Generally excluded
- Rent, mortgage, council rates or board payments
- Electricity, gas, water, internet and phone bills
- Groceries, food ingredients and restaurant meals
- Prescription medications and PBS items
- Medical fees, GP visits and hospital charges
- Private health insurance premiums
- Gambling, alcohol or tobacco
- Holidays, flights and leisure travel
- Cash payments to family or friends
- Cosmetic or aesthetic home renovations
- Services for family members rather than the care recipient
- Items already covered by Medicare, NDIS, DVA or other programmes
- General entertainment (cinema, club memberships)
The three service categories
Support at Home splits services into three groups. Each group has different funding and contribution rules.
Clinical care
100% government funded — no cost to you
- Registered nursing visits and assessments
- Wound care and dressing management
- Physiotherapy and exercise physiology
- Occupational therapy assessments
- Speech pathology and swallowing assessment
- Clinical podiatry and dietetics
- Social work and counselling
- Palliative care nursing support
- Diabetes management and education
Independence services
Means-tested contribution (personal care becomes fully funded from 1 October 2026)
- Showering, bathing and personal hygiene
- Dressing, grooming and toileting support
- Mobility assistance and safe transfers
- Medication prompting (non-clinical)
- Skin care and pressure injury prevention
- Continence aids and supplies
- Assistive technology and home modifications
Everyday living
Highest means-tested contribution rates
- House cleaning, vacuuming and mopping
- Laundry, washing and ironing
- Bed making and linen changes
- Meal preparation and cooking assistance
- Shopping assistance (the service, not the groceries)
- Basic garden maintenance for safety
- Minor home maintenance and pest control
- Transport and social support
Coming 1 October 2026 — personal care fully funded
From 1 October 2026, the Australian Government will fully fund personal care services (showering, dressing, grooming and related assistance). This means these services will become $0 cost for participants, the same as clinical care currently is.
Why some items are excluded
Government funding is designed to support your health, safety and independence at home — not to cover general living costs or lifestyle choices.
Housing and household bills
Rent, mortgage, council rates, insurance, electricity, gas, water and internet are private living costs. A utility may only be covered if it directly supports a documented clinical need, such as air conditioning for a specific medical condition.
Food and groceries
The cost of food itself cannot be paid from your package. The service of meal preparation or grocery shopping assistance is included, but the ingredients must be paid from your own funds.
Medications and medical fees
Prescriptions, PBS items, GP visits, specialist fees, hospital charges and private health insurance are excluded because they are covered by Medicare, private insurance or other programmes.
Lifestyle and personal spending
Gambling, alcohol, tobacco, holidays, flights, leisure travel, hairdressing, beauty therapy, entertainment and cash payments to family are not fundable.
Cosmetic or non-essential renovations
Home modifications must be directly related to safety, accessibility or mobility. Aesthetic upgrades such as new kitchens, luxury fittings or extensions are excluded.
Services for other people
Funding is for the assessed care recipient only. Cleaning a shared home or gardening that benefits the whole household may only be funded on a pro-rata basis for the recipient’s needs.
Grey areas: it depends on your situation
Some items sit between clearly included and clearly excluded. The answer usually depends on documented clinical need and approval.
Exercise programmes▼
Gym memberships are usually excluded, but prescribed exercise for age-related functional decline — supervised by a physiologist or physiotherapist — may be funded. Tai chi and yoga are only fundable when supervised by an appropriate health professional.
Computers and tablets▼
Generic devices are generally excluded. A tablet may be funded if it is prescribed for a documented clinical purpose, such as reducing social isolation or managing a health monitoring app, with supporting evidence from an OT or GP.
Hearing aids▼
Hearing aids available through the Hearing Services Programme must be obtained that way. A package may only cover a like-for-like equivalent if the recipient is not eligible for the programme.
Air conditioning▼
Usually excluded as a home improvement. It can be funded if a specific medical condition creates a documented clinical need for temperature control, supported by medical evidence and approval.
Alternative therapies▼
Massage, aromatherapy and similar treatments are generally excluded unless clinically prescribed by a health professional and linked to a documented care need.
Pet care▼
Vet bills, pet food and grooming are excluded. Walking a pet may be part of a social support visit if the primary purpose is care-related, and certified assistance animals may be supported with a clinical rationale.
Common "Can I use my package for…?" questions
Can I buy a computer with my package?
Depends — only with documented clinical rationale.
Can I buy a mobility scooter?
Yes — if assessed as necessary and listed under the AT-HM scheme.
Can I pay my family member to care for me?
No — direct cash payments to family are not allowed.
Can I use my package for physiotherapy?
Yes — physiotherapy is a clinical service and is fully government funded.
Can I pay for Meals on Wheels?
Partly — the delivery and service fee is fundable, but the food cost is not.
Can I use my package for a gym membership?
Depends — only if prescribed and supervised by a qualified health professional.
Can I use my package for in-home respite?
Yes — in-home respite can be funded from your package.
Frequently asked questions
What can I spend my aged care package on?+
Support at Home funding covers personal care (showering, dressing, grooming), nursing and clinical care, allied health (physio, OT, podiatry), domestic help (cleaning, laundry), meal preparation, transport, social support, in-home respite, assistive technology and safety-related home modifications. It does not cover rent, groceries, utilities, medications, holidays or general lifestyle costs.
What is included in a Home Care Package?+
Anything that supports your health, safety and independence at home — clinical care is 100% government funded, and independence and everyday-living services are shared between the government and a means-tested co-contribution from you.
Can I pay a family member with my aged care package?+
No. Direct cash payments to family or friends are not allowed under Support at Home rules.
Can I use my package for a gym membership?+
Generally no. Gym memberships are excluded, but prescribed exercise programmes supervised by a physiotherapist or exercise physiologist for a documented health condition can be funded.
Does my package pay for groceries or meals?+
The service of meal preparation and grocery-shopping assistance is funded, but the cost of the food itself is not. Meal delivery service fees can be funded; the meal ingredients cannot.
Tips to maximise your funding
Small changes to how you use your package can make a big difference to the support you receive.
Use all your free clinical care entitlements first — nursing, physiotherapy, OT, podiatry and dietetics cost you nothing.
Get an occupational therapy assessment early. It is free and can unlock home modification and assistive technology funding.
Document every care need specifically and link it to safety, health or independence.
Review your care plan every quarter so it reflects your current needs.
Remember the care management cap — providers can charge a maximum of 10% of each quarterly budget for care management.
Ask about the AT-HM scheme before paying for equipment or modifications from your regular budget.
Carry forward unspent funds — up to $1,000 or 10% of your quarterly budget, whichever is greater.
Keep records and check monthly statements so you know exactly how your funding is spent.
Need help understanding your package?
Happy Home Care can walk you through what your funding covers, help you plan your spending, and make sure you are getting the most from your Support at Home package.