About Home Care

Next steps and wait times

Once you are approved for a Home Care Package you’ll have to wait for a package to be allocated to you by the Government through the National Prioritisation System (NPS).

The NPS is designed to provide a consistent and equitable process for allocating Home Care Packages based on people’s individual needs and circumstances, regardless of where they live.

1. Enquire

Call My Aged Care on 1800 200 422 to be assessed or fill out their form. If you are eligible for a HCP assessment, a face-to-face appointment will be scheduled.

It may take from 2 days to 2 weeks for your assessment to be confirmed.

waiting time: 2 to 14+ days

2. Assessment

Get assessed face-to-face by ACAT/ACAS (usually at at your home).

duration: 45–75 min

3. Approval

You will receive an assessment report letter in the mail, outlining which package you are approved for.

waiting time: 2 weeks

4. Research providers

Whilst you await the allocation of your Home Care Package, it’s a good time to begin looking into provider options and compare fees using the CareCompare search tool.

If you need support to make the best choice you can contact us and one of our CareCompare Navigators will assist you.

Waiting times vary and can be long, more information on that below.

Waiting time 3months - 1.5years

5. Package notification

3 months before receiving a package you will receive a notice that you are about to receive a package. You can start contacting providers to see who has availability and talk to them to ensure they meet your needs.

Our CareCompare Navigators can assist you with this if you need.

notification time: 3 months prior

6. Package allocation

You will receive your package allocation letter, including your referral code which you can give to your chosen provider to access your report.

Once your package has been allocated, you will have 56 days to choose a provider before the package expires. You can call My Aged Care and ask for a 28 day extension.

duration: 56 days

As of 30 June 2020, there were approximately 62,000 people in the NPS and the estimated wait time to access a package was anywhere from three to over twelve months

Department of Health 2020

How long will you wait to be allocated your package ?

Expected wait times are based on the date of approval and the priority of care stated in the letter you received containing your assessment results.

You can find information about your place in the national priority system
and your expected wait time by:

logging into your online MAC account
calling MAC on 1800 200 422.

Current estimated waiting times:

Level 1: 3-6 months
Level 2: 12+ months
Level 3: 12+ months
Level 4: 12+
(current National Priority System times)

Note: You may be able to get support sooner by choosing to receive an interim package. An interim package is a Home Care Package of a lower level than the one you’re approved to receive.

While you are waiting for your Home Care Package there are interim solutions that may be available to you, such as the Commonwealth Home Support Programme.

Selecting your provider

You’ll want to select a provider that meets your care needs, maximises your care hours and minimises fees and charges, so it’s important to gather as much information as possible about Home Care Package providers in your area, which is where CareCompare can help, contact us and our friendly and experienced Navigators can support you every step of the way.

Learn more about

What does a Home Care Package cover