Most people never ask to see the actual list. Vince, 84, who grows the best tomatoes in his street in Newcastle, kept hearing the same four words: "that's not on the list." His podiatry? On the list. His Friday lift to the club? Also on the list. Re-potting his tomatoes? No.
Vince's story is an illustrative scenario, created to show how Support at Home works in practice. It is not a real client testimonial.
Since Support at Home replaced Home Care Packages on 1 November 2025, one government service list defines what funding can buy. It has three categories.
Category one: clinical supports
Health-focused services: nursing care, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, podiatry and other allied health. Vince's podiatry sits here. Clinical supports are fully government funded, with no participant contribution.
Category two: independence supports
These help you keep doing things yourself: personal care such as showering and dressing, transport to appointments and outings, and social support. Vince's Friday lift belongs here. Participant contributions can apply, depending on your means (for example, whether you receive the Age Pension).
Category three: everyday living supports
These keep the household running: domestic assistance like cleaning and laundry, meal preparation, and home maintenance such as gardening. Contributions can apply here too. Vince's tomatoes are where it gets interesting: routine gardening that keeps a home safe and functional is generally fundable, gardening that's purely a hobby usually isn't.
The list is only half the story: your care plan is the other half
Being on the list doesn't automatically mean your budget covers it. It also has to be in your care plan, built from your assessment through My Aged Care (1800 200 422). If your needs change, ask for a review.
Grey areas are normal, silence isn't
The pruning job that's part safety, part tidiness. The transport that's part appointment, part outing. Never accept a flat "no" with no explanation. Because self-managed care means you choose your own workers and services, once something is approved you decide who does it and when. Vince got his answer: safety pruning yes, tomato re-potting no, and a gardener he chose himself for the rest.