Consider a daughter who has just realised her mum needs more help than the family can keep providing. She's heard "Support at Home" and "My Aged Care" but has no idea what happens first, what happens next, or how long any of it takes. She doesn't need a policy document — she needs someone to lay out the steps in order so she can get started this week.
This example is illustrative. The application and assessment are run by the Australian Government through My Aged Care.
The process has a clear shape once someone spells it out. Here are the steps in order — and where a provider like us fits in (and where we don't).
Step 1: Register with My Aged Care
Everything starts at My Aged Care, the Australian Government's entry point for aged care, online or by phone. You (or a family member or representative helping you) register some basic details about the person needing support. This is the front door — you can't be funded for Support at Home without going through it.
Step 2: The aged care assessment
After registering, an assessment is arranged. An assessor talks with you — usually at home — about how you're managing day to day and where you need help. This determines both your eligibility and your funding level, so it's worth preparing for. Our guide on the My Aged Care assessment covers how to get ready.
Step 3: Approval and your funding
If you're approved, you'll be told your funding classification and what it covers. Depending on demand there can be a wait between approval and funding becoming available; our guide on what to do while you wait helps you use that time well.
Where we fit in: Partner with Care can't lodge your My Aged Care application for you — that's the government's process. What we can do is help you understand each step, prepare for the assessment, and be ready to get you started quickly once your funding is approved.
Step 4: Choose your provider and start
Once funding is approved, you choose who delivers your care. This is where self-managing matters: with Partner with Care you pick your own local worker or provider and keep control of your budget, while we act as the registered provider behind the arrangement. If you're weighing your options, see self-managed vs provider-managed and check whether you're likely eligible in the first place with am I eligible for Support at Home?