A Home Care Package is an allocation of funding from the Australian government. The package covers flexible services to assist older people to remain living independently and safely at home.

To find out if you are eligible you will need to contact My Aged Care by calling 1800 200 422. They’ll ask you a series of questions to determine if you need an assessment which will be provided by the local Aged Care Assessment Team (ACAT).  They will inform you of the next steps from here.  

If you are not sure about how to contact My Aged Care, Brotherhood of St. Laurence Aged Care can help you to register online with My Aged Care and My Aged Care staff will give you a call later.

A Home Care Package can cover for a wide selection of services including:

• Client advisory services and advocacy
• Personal care
• Domestic and shopping assistance
• Gardening and minor home maintenance
• In-home nursing
• Allied health services such as physiotherapy and occupational therapy
• In-home respite
• Social outings
• Meal preparation
• Mobility aids and equipment to assist you to live safely and comfortably at home
• And much more.

Brotherhood of St. Laurence Aged Care is a not-for-profit, approved provider of Home Care Packages, with more than 20 years’ experience in supporting older people to remain safe, happy and healthy at home.

Put simply, we connect you with a Client Advisor who takes the time to get to know you. They work with you to identify your goals and aspirations, and create a plan that supports your individual needs. Being with Brotherhood of St. Laurence Aged Care also provides you with:

• One-on-one guidance as you navigate the complex aged care system
• Support as you plan for your future
• A friendly team who knows you and what’s important to you
• Peace of mind that you’re with an award-winning, accredited and trusted provider with more 60 years’ experience supporting older people
• Ongoing support to achieve independence
• Connection to social and recreational activities within your local community
• Quality assurance including background and police checks on all staff and volunteers
• Qualified staff with a ‘can-do’ attitude who look for opportunities to provide assistance; such as teaching you how to use Facebook or Skype
• Out-of-hours support when you need it
• Monthly financial statements so you know how your funding is spent
• Access to a chaplaincy service.

Visit the Home Care Packages page to find out more about how Brotherhood of St. Laurence Aged Care can help you.

At Brotherhood of St. Laurence Aged Care we do things differently. We connect you with a Client Advisor, who works with you to make sure you are utilising your Home Care Package to its full potential.

Your Advisor works closely with you to create a plan that supports your individual circumstances. Some of your Advisor’s key goals are to:

• Keep you connected to family and friends
• Assist you in navigating the complex aged care system
• Help you plan for your future
• Advise and advocate on your behalf regarding situations that might involve a hospital stay, medical diagnosis or complicated health care paperwork.

Our Advisors come from a range of allied health service backgrounds such as nursing, psychology, social work, physiotherapy, occupational therapy and podiatry. This means you receive expert advice from industry professions and a holistic aged care service.

You can begin by visiting My Aged Care or phoning the government service on 1800 200 422. Alternatively, you can request a free consultation with one of our Client Engagement Consultants. These aged care experts will explain the system, the services available to you and step you through the application process.

We understand and work closely with diverse individuals and communities such as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD), and Veterans.

To take advantage of our free expert advice simply call 1300 147 147.

We will arrange an Advisor to visit you as soon as mutually agreed. The Advisor will get to know more about you – your aspirations and passions – and how we may be able to assist and support you.

We have offices in Frankston, Epping and Sunshine, with staff covering Metropolitan Melbourne.

When we are able to begin your Home Care Package is dependent on whether you’re already assigned a package or if you’re waiting to be assigned one.

If you are assigned a package and looking for a provider or if you are currently with another provider, but want to move across to us, we can commence services as soon as you’d like – within a mutually agreed timeframe. The first step is to arrange for a Client Advisor to visit you at home to explain our services in full. To arrange a visit please call 1300 147 147.

If you are waiting to be assigned a package, we are able to set up self-funded services for you or assist you exploring other government funding options while you are waiting, and once you are assigned a new package we can commence services immediately.

Remember, if you are not yet assessed, currently on the waiting list or not eligible for a Home Care Package, you may still access some other services and support, please contact My Aged Care for other services and support.

To have one of our aged care experts step you through the process in more detail, please call 1300 147 147 today.

Level 1 is $8,157.72 or $679.81 monthly

Level 2 is $ 14,837.28 or $1,236.44 monthly

Level 3 is $32,620.08 or $2,718.34 monthly

Level 4 is $49,592.52 or $4,132.71 monthly

View current rates

Basic Fee

To check the current Basic Fee, please visit the My Aged Care website.

However, Brotherhood of St. Laurence Aged Care has waived this fee – which means, if you choose us, you do not pay this amount.  

Income-tested care fee

Centrelink calculates your income-tested care fee, which only applies if your income is more than a certain amount. View the estimator tool.

You can only be asked to pay the income-tested care fee if you have a yearly income above a certain income threshold. The best tool to use to help in understanding the fees you may have to pay is the estimator tool.

Annual and lifetime caps apply to the income-tested care fee. Once these caps are reached, you cannot be asked to pay any more income-tested care fees. These caps also transfer over to residential aged care, should that be required.

Centrelink will advise how much your income-tested care fee is. Read more about the annual and lifetime caps.

No fees are charged to set up your Home Care Package with Brotherhood of St. Laurence Aged Care.

Yes, this fee is called a My Care cost and it relates to the amount associated with a Client Advisor (or Case Management) and the support team. Levels of My Care can be selected under either our Flexible Care or Comprehensive Care models. Selecting the right package for you will depend on your needs or the support you would like to receive.

The Flexible Care Package offers professional advice and assistance to choose the services you want to live the life you value. You’ll receive up to two hours of contact and support from your Advisor each month to ensure you are travelling well and getting the services you need. If you would like more contact with your Advisor, this can be arranged at an hourly rate.

Your quarterly statement outlines the amount of Advisor time you have utilised during the three-month period. If it looks as if you may exceed your limit, your Advisor will monitor this and keep you informed.

Your Advisor is always there for you if and when you need them. This means, if you feel more support is required, such if you have just returned home from a hospital stay, you can purchase additional hours of support through your package at a rate of $99/hour. Should you feel you may be better off moving to the Comprehensive Care Package, this can also be arranged through your Advisor.

The Comprehensive Care Package ensures the services you choose come with regular ongoing contact with your own Advisor. Your Advisor will provide support to ensure you are well, safe, supported and connected to live the life you value.

Our Comprehensive Care Package provides extensive support from a Client Advisor. While the Flexible Care Package is ideal if you can mostly self-manage your services with occasional support from your Advisor. Remember, the Flexible Care Package is a cheaper option and you can move between the different packages at any time to suit your needs – simply notify your Advisor.

To have your needs reassessed, get in touch with My Aged Care directly or ask your Advisor to arrange this for you. You may be placed on a waitlist for a new package, but your Advisor will keep you informed every step of the way.

Your Advisor not only works closely with you to deliver your package, but will also advocate on your behalf, where you advise them to. This time is logged in our system. Your Advisor also keeps a record of conversations or any health updates, so that if they are unwell or on leave, another Advisor can easily step in to assist you.

This is covered under our My Essentials costs. My Essentials are costs associated with providing you an award-winning, accredited and trusted service with more than 60 years’ experience supporting older people.

These costs are specifically related to the organisation’s infrastructure, which ensure you receive a high-quality aged care service. Ask your Advisor for more information about how your individual My Essentials fees are calculated.

We do charge a maximum exit fee of $500. This is charged to your package, not to you personally. This is simply to cover the administration work required to finalise your funding and expenses and conclude your package with us.

My Care are the costs directly associated with your highly qualified, dedicated Advisor who gets to know you and works with you over time. This helps cover your Advisor and the support team to:

• Work with you to develop a plan and identify local opportunities, services and supports
• Support you when you experience unexpected events or emergencies
• Be a trusted source of professional advice and guidance on the options available to you
• Assist you in planning for your future
• Provide opportunities for social connection
• Help keep you connected to family and friends
• Revise your plan with you as your goals and needs may change over time
• Keep you safe and secure at home with:
  • an annual Home Safety Review including ideas or equipment to improve your personal safety and security
  • information about preparing for extreme weather conditions such as heat waves and bush fires.

There are some services that Home Care Packages do not cover, these include:

• Use of the package funds as a source of general income
• Purchase of food (groceries) except as part of enteral feeding requirements/dietary supplements
• Payment for permanent accommodation, including assistance with home purchase, mortgage payments or rent
• Payment of home care fees
• Payment of fees or charges for other types of care funded or jointly funded by the Australian Government
• Home modifications or capital items that are not related to client care needs.
• Travel and accommodation for holidays
• Cost of entertainment activities, such as club memberships and tickets to sporting events
• Payment for services and items covered by the Medicare Benefits Schedule or the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme
• Gambling activities or illegal activities

Put simply, Brotherhood of St. Laurence Aged Care provides you with more than a choice, we have passionate staff and great quality services that enable you to live a life you value. Finally, we strongly believe in connecting you to the community to help you be your best self.