Maureen managed on her own for a long time. At 81, it wasn't the housework that finally got to her, it was the shower. Standing on wet tiles, reaching for the shampoo, doing up the buttons on a blouse afterwards with hands that no longer cooperated. She'd never wanted a stranger seeing her like that. What she wanted was to feel like herself again in the morning, safely, and to have some say in who helped her do it.
Maureen's story is an illustrative scenario, created to show how Support at Home works in practice. It is not a real client testimonial.
If that's you, the short answer is yes. Personal care is one of the most commonly funded things on the Support at Home service list, which replaced Home Care Packages on 1 November 2025. But the fuller answer, the one that matters to Maureen, is about how it works and who does it.
Where personal care sits on the service list
Support at Home organises everything into three categories. Personal care lives in the independence supports category, the group of services designed to help you keep doing everyday things for yourself. That covers help with showering, bathing, dressing, grooming, toileting and moving safely around the home. The point of the category name is worth holding onto: this funding exists to protect your independence, not replace it.
What "personal care" actually includes
People sometimes picture personal care as one thing, but it's really a set of small, dignified tasks that keep a day on track. Help stepping in and out of the shower. A hand with buttons, zips and shoelaces. Assistance with hair, shaving or applying moisturiser. Support with continence needs. Being there to steady you on the way to the bathroom overnight. For Maureen, it's mostly the morning shower and getting dressed, twice a week to start with. Your care plan sets out exactly which tasks are funded for you.
Dignity and choosing your own worker
Personal care is close work. Someone is in the bathroom with you, helping with a body that's changed. That's precisely why the question "who does it?" matters as much as "is it funded?". When you self-manage, you choose the worker, not a roster you never see. If the fit isn't right, you say so and change it. Maureen ended up with the same support worker each visit, someone she came to trust, which turned a dreaded part of the week into a manageable one.
The one-question habit: before you start any personal care, ask your provider "is this in my plan, and can I choose who provides it?" With Partner with Care, routine questions get an instant answer and anything trickier gets a same-day answer from a real person who already knows your situation. You never have to commit first and find out later.
Will you pay a contribution?
Here's the honest part. Clinical care like nursing is fully government funded, but personal care is an independence support, and a participant contribution can apply. The amount depends on your means, for instance whether you receive the Age Pension, so no article can tell you your number. Get your exact rate from My Aged Care on 1800 200 422, then ask your provider to show you what it means per visit before anything is booked.
Self-managing keeps the choice yours
Some people worry that funded personal care means losing control of something deeply private. It's the opposite when you self-manage. As a registered Support at Home provider, Partner with Care handles the claiming, compliance and government-facing paperwork. You choose the worker, the days and the routine. And because your budget is live on screen, you can see exactly what's available before you book another visit. Self-managed care is how Maureen kept her mornings her own.