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Aged care guides

Plain-English guides to the Australian aged care system. More are being added.

Published guides

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.

6 min read

Looking for help at home?

Support at Home explained

The program that replaced Home Care Packages. Eight funding levels, and what you contribute.

8 min read

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.

8 min read

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.

9 min read

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.

8 min read

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.

8 min read

RAD or DAP

A lump sum or a daily payment, and the 2 per cent retention that changed in November 2025.

8 min read

CHSP explained

It still exists, despite what you may have read. What it covers and what it costs.

7 min read

What happened to Home Care Packages

They closed to new applicants in 2025. What happened to existing packages and unspent funds.

7 min read

Complaints and your rights

Who handles complaints, how long it takes, and what the Statement of Rights actually does.

8 min read

Aged care star ratings

How they are calculated, and why a four star home can still have problems.

7 min read