Most people learn about aged care in a hurry
A parent has had a fall. A hospital is talking about discharge. A GP thinks they need more help. Or everyday things that used to be manageable are getting harder.
Then suddenly there is a new vocabulary to learn: My Aged Care, assessments, Support at Home, CHSP, means assessments, RADs and DAPs.
Aged Care HQ explains what those things mean, how they fit together and where to go next.
Start with what you need to work out
You do not need to understand the whole aged care system at once. Start with the question in front of you.
Does someone need more help?
How to get an aged care assessment
Registering with My Aged Care, what the assessor asks, and the mistake most families make.
Looking for help at home?
Support at Home explained
The program that replaced Home Care Packages. Eight funding levels, and what you contribute.
Trying to work out the money?
What aged care costs in Australia
Every fee you will meet, in the order you meet them, plus the caps that limit them.
Considering an aged care home?
Residential aged care explained
What it is, how it differs from a retirement village, and what to look at when comparing homes.
Not sure what My Aged Care actually does?
My Aged Care explained
The phone number, how to register, how to act for a parent, and what it does not do.
Does a carer need a break?
Respite care explained
Residential respite has no bond and no means tested fee. The five types and what each costs.
RAD or DAP
A lump sum or a daily payment, and the 2% retention that changed in November 2025.
CHSP explained
It still exists, despite what you may have read. What it covers and what it costs.
What happened to Home Care Packages
They closed to new applicants in 2025. What happened to existing packages and unspent funds.
Complaints and your rights
Who handles complaints, how long it takes, and what the Statement of Rights actually does.
Aged care star ratings
How they are calculated, and why a four star home can still have problems.
We check the source, and the date
Australian aged care changed significantly on 1 November 2025, and several fees, funding amounts and rules have changed again since. Information that was accurate a year ago may not be accurate now.
Our guides are built from Australian Government and other authoritative sources, including My Aged Care, the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, Services Australia, the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission and Australian Government aged care data.
Where a figure can change, we show when it was checked. Where different rules apply depending on when someone entered care, we explain the difference. Every guide includes its sources.
We're building a national aged care directory
Understanding the system is one part of the problem. Finding the right care is another.
Aged Care HQ is building a national directory of aged care providers, services and residential aged care facilities across Australia. The aim is to make it easier to see what is available in your area and compare what different providers offer.
The directory is not live yet. As it grows, we'll be clear about how providers are listed, how information is sourced and how the directory is funded.
Practical help
Three pages people come back to.
- Who to call about what. Assessments, fees, complaints and emergencies all sit with different organisations. This is the switchboard.
- Questions to ask a provider. The ones that produce specific answers rather than a general impression.
- Aged care terms explained. ACAT, RAD, DAP, CHSP and the rest, including which ones changed in 2025.
Not sure where to begin?
For most people, the first practical step is working out what help is needed and whether an aged care assessment is required.