All you need to know
How to pay for care
There are many options for paying for your care depending on your individual needs and circumstances.
You may be eligible for subsidised care through the Australian Government’s Commonwealth Home Support Program or Support at Home program. An assessment will determine your eligibility for subsidies, outlining your budget and the contribution you may need to make.
Carinity is an approved provider of Support at Home funded services, and can provide domestic assistance and allied health under the Commonwealth Home Support Program.
Support at Home
Pricing Schedule
Our pricing schedule helps you see the exact costs of your home care services, so you can plan with confidence.
Pricing varies depending on where you live, taking into account a number of factors including travel time, staffing and service availability.
Our METRO rates are applicable to services delivered in the following regions: Brisbane North, Brisbane South, Logan, South Coast and Sunshine Coast.
Our REGIONAL rates are applicable to services delivered in the following regions: Townsville, Rockhampton, Bundaberg, Hervey Bay, Bribie/Caboolture, Ipswich and Toowoomba
Learn more about Support at Home budgets, subsidies and the fees you may be asked to pay.
Carinity is also a registered NDIS provider, delivering supports & services to help you achieve your goals. Carinity abide by the NDIS price guide, charging the maximum pricing rate for supports.
Funding options explained
Commonwealth Home Support Program
The Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP) is a Government-subsidised entry level home help program for older people who need some help with daily tasks to live independently at home.
The Australian Government subsidises a range of care and support services to keep fees reasonable and affordable for seniors.
You will need to register with My Aged Care (call 1800 200 422 or visit myagedcare.gov.au) and have an assessment before you can be approved for services. If you are eligible, you are expected to contribute to the cost of your care if you can afford to.
You do not need an income and assets assessment to access CHSP services and your age pension will not be affected by your contributions to the cost of your services.
Carinity has a number of CHSP services available, including domestic assistance and allied health. Learn more!
Support at Home
The Support at Home (SAH) program is a government-subsidised program for older people needing short-term or ongoing more complex care and support services to remain living independently at home.
There are eight funding classifications for different levels of ongoing care and support needs.
Each classification level receives a different amount of funding. This money can be used to buy hours of care or other services and supports that suit your needs.
Funding isn’t paid to you directly. Instead, you choose an approved SAH provider to administer the funds on your behalf and give you ‘care management’ support and advice.
Once you have been assigned SAH funding, you can keep it for as long as you need. If your needs increase, you are able to be reassessed for a higher classification of funding.
Once you’ve had an assessment, you will be advised which classification applies for you.
Support Assessment
The assessment team assess people’s eligibility for in-home support funded under either the Commonwealth Home Care Program (CHSP), or Support at Home (SAH); and other aged care services, such as short-term pathways, residential respite and permanent aged care.
They are professional health and community care clinicians who visit you at home to assess your needs. They do a comprehensive assessment for your eligibility for care and services.
During the assessment visit, the clinician (usually a nurse, social worker or other health care professional) will ask questions about how well you are managing in your day-to-day life. They will also explain the assessment process and give you advice on the types of care services that may help you to stay at home.
Your assessed needs will determine the level of Support at Home funding you are eligible for. You will also be asked about whether you want approvals to use residential respite care in the future.
In some instances, when staying at home is no longer possible, the assessment can also help to determine your eligibility for care in a residential aged care community. Carinity has 11 residential aged care communities across Queensland that provide a full range of care including short-term respite, long-term/permanent, dementia and palliative care.
My Aged Care
My Aged Care (MAC) is the Government gateway for all aged care needs, including assessment and information on aged care support and programs across Australia.
Contact My Aged Care on 1800 200 422 or visit myagedcare.gov.au
Costs for Support at Home services
Costs for home care can vary depending on your individual needs and whether you are choosing to self-fund your services, or eligible for subsidised care from the Government. Just like your individual care needs, we’ll discuss all the available funding options to find the one that best suits you, and develop an individualised budget.
For subsidised care, an assessment will determine your eligibility for subsidies, outlining your budget and contributions you need to make towards the cost of your care.
Support at Home program – Contributions
When receiving services under the Support at Home program you will contribute towards the cost of some services, while other services will be free of charge. You will only pay contributions for services you receive. These contributions are different for everyone, based on your individual income and assets, including your pension.
Your contribution rates are calculated by Services Australia. You can use the My Aged Care fee estimator to see what you will have to contribute towards each service under Support at Home.
You will need to complete an income and assets assessment with Services Australia to find out the exact amount.
Self-funded services
Rather than using Government-subsidised services, you might prefer to use self-funded care services, paying the full fee for service. Carinity Home Care offers fee-for-service home care. You don’t need an assessment to start receiving services. You choose what services you want to purchase, and are responsible for paying the costs. Call Carinity Home Care on 1300 109 109 today to get get started.