Choosing a Support at Home service can be daunting. With so many providers, price points and promises to sort through, it is hard to know who to trust with your care.
Support at Home is a government-funded program providing older Australians with access to flexible in-home help. Services range from personal care and housework to social support and clinical care, making it easier to stay independent at home.
This article explains how to choose a Support at Home provider that fits your life. We cover exactly what to look for in a Support at Home provider and the key questions to ask to ensure you find the right fit.
We have set out a simple, step-by-step process to help you compare providers and decide with confidence, whether you are organising care for yourself, a parent or a partner.
What to look for in a Support at Home provider
Finding the right provider is about more than just checking who has availability in your local area. It means matching their specific services, costs and values to your daily needs.
The following factors will help you find a provider that fits your needs.
Services provided
Start by checking exactly what services are on offer. Does the provider cover personal care, domestic help, social support and transport and any clinical care listed in your Support at Home assessment?
If you have specific health conditions, ask for examples of how they support clients in similar situations. This might include regular nursing visits for wound care, or transport and support for ongoing treatment appointments.
Staff qualifications and training
The experience and skill level of care workers directly impact your safety and comfort at home.
Look for providers who invest in regular training and checks for their staff. If you have higher care needs, ask if they have registered nurses or specialised support workers available, and whether the same small team will visit you each week.
Pricing and transparency
Understanding costs upfront is essential to avoid surprises later.
A good provider will be clear about their hourly rates, travel fees and any administration charges. Ask for a full fee schedule and, if possible, a simple example showing what you would pay in a typical fortnight based on your likely hours, so you can see exactly how your Support at Home budget will be used.
Flexibility and scheduling
Your support should fit around your life, not the other way around.
Ask how the provider handles changes to visit times. Can they work around your existing routines and preferred days? Do they have minimum visit lengths that might not suit your needs? It is also worth checking what happens if you need to cancel or move a visit at short notice.
Communication and reporting
Regular updates give peace of mind to families and carers.
Check if the provider has a clear process for keeping you informed. Do they have a simple way for you to raise concerns or ask questions?
Cultural considerations
For many older Australians, having a carer who understands their language and culture makes a huge difference.
If this is important to you, ask the provider how they match carers to clients and whether they can support your specific cultural or spiritual needs.
Safety, quality and accreditation
Always check that your provider is approved to deliver Support at Home services.
This ensures they meet government quality standards and follow strict safety procedures, giving you confidence that you are in safe hands. You can also ask how they manage risks like falls, medications and infection control, and how often they review care plans as needs change.
Step-by-step guide to choosing the right provider
Step 1: Identify and list your needs
Write down your specific needs before you start looking. Some things to consider include:
- What you need help with now (personal care, housework, meals, transport, social connection).
- When you prefer visits (mornings vs evenings, weekdays vs weekends).
- Any cultural, language or gender preferences for carers.
- Health or mobility issues that need special attention.
Keep this list handy when you talk to providers so everyone receives the same information and nothing important is missed.
Step 2: Build a shortlist of providers
Next, create a shortlist of 3–5 providers who:
- Operate in your area.
- Offer the services and clinical support you need.
- Are approved to deliver Support at Home.
Aged Care Decisions can help with this. Our free, independent service matches your needs, budget and location with providers that have current availability. If you prefer to search yourself, you can use the My Aged Care “Find a provider” tool and contact each provider directly to check their services, fees and availability.
Get your free tailored list of Support at Home providers
Step 3: Contact each provider
Contact each provider on your shortlist and share the same summary of your situation and needs. Use a prepared question list so every provider answers the same points, as this will make it much easier to compare them later.
Notice how each provider responds. Do they listen and ask clarifying questions or rush through the call? Do they explain Support at Home in plain English, or rely on jargon? These are early clues to how they might communicate once services begin.
Step 4: Compare their responses
After your calls, lay your notes out and compare providers on a few key points:
- Services offered now and as needs change.
- Hourly rates, fees and how clearly they were explained.
- Flexibility with scheduling and back-up plans.
- Staff experience, training and consistency.
- How comfortable you felt talking with them.
It can help to score each provider out of 5 for these criteria or simply highlight stand-outs and concerns. This turns a vague feeling into a more concrete comparison.
Step 5: Review the service agreement carefully
Before you commit, ask for a copy of the service agreement and take the time to read it carefully. Look for:
- What is included and excluded.
- All fees and charges, including exit or cancellation fees.
- Notice periods for changing or ending services.
- How complaints and incidents are handled.
If anything is unclear, ask the provider to explain it in writing. You can also ask a trusted family member, advocate or adviser to review the agreement with you.
Questions to ask Support at Home providers
Here is a checklist of questions to ask when you speak with providers:
- What services do you offer that match my needs?
- How quickly can services begin?
- How do you select and train your care workers?
- Will I have the same carers each visit?
- What checks do you complete on staff before they work with clients?
- What are your hourly rates?
- Are there travel fees or any extra charges I should know about?
- Do you have minimum hours per visit?
- Can I adjust my schedule easily if something changes?
- How do you handle last-minute cancellations or changes?
- What is your process for reporting concerns or incidents?
- How do you communicate updates with clients or families?
- Do you support specific cultural or language needs?
- How do you match carers to clients?
- What happens if a carer is sick or unavailable?
- Can you help with higher care needs if they increase over time?
- What is included in your service agreement?
- What is not included?
Red flags to watch for
As you speak with providers, keep an eye out for:
- Vague pricing or unclear fee explanations.
- Difficulty getting direct answers to simple questions.
- Slow or unreliable responses to your questions.
- Inconsistent or poorly trained staff.
- No clear process for complaints or incidents.
- Pressure to sign paperwork quickly or commit on the spot.
- Little flexibility around visit times or support needs.
One or two small concerns may be manageable, but if several of these show up together, it may be safer to choose another provider.
Special considerations for different situations
Adult children supporting parents
Adult children often juggle work, distance and family responsibilities, so reliability and communication usually sit at the top of the list. Look for providers who offer a clear point of contact, regular updates and a willingness to involve you in care planning, with your parent’s consent.
Older Australians choosing for themselves
If you are choosing for yourself, independence and respect may be your key priorities. Choose a provider who listens to how you like things done and fits support around your routines, rather than taking over.
You should feel comfortable saying “no, thank you” to services that do not feel right and suggest alternatives that do.
Families with cultural preferences
For families with strong cultural or faith ties, it is important that support feels familiar, not foreign. Ask directly about language, food, gender preferences for personal care, and any cultural training staff receive.
Providers who take cultural safety seriously will welcome these questions and may already work closely with particular communities.
People with higher or complex needs
If you or your loved one has complex or changing health needs, clinical capability should come first. Look for providers with nursing staff, strong links to allied health and experience in conditions similar to yours, such as dementia, advanced mobility issues or palliative care.
Ask how they escalate concerns, involve health professionals and update care plans when needs change.
When to ask for extra help comparing providers
Choosing a Support at Home provider on your own can feel overwhelming, especially if you are juggling work, health and family responsibilities at the same time. Many providers offer different services, have different availability, charge different fees and have very different levels of experience.
It is very common to reach a point where the options all start to blur together. Getting independent support at this stage can save hours of phone calls and online research, reduce stress and give you confidence that you are not missing a better option or overlooking an important detail.
How Aged Care Decisions can help
Aged Care Decisions is an independent, 100% free comparison service for aged care and Support at Home providers. Our team listens to your care needs, location and budget, then matches you with suitable providers that have current availability.
We gather information on services, pricing and vacancies so you do not have to repeat your story to multiple providers. This saves you time and reduces stress, with no obligation to choose any specific provider.
Final takeaway and next step
Choosing a Support at Home provider can feel like a big decision, especially when you are balancing health, family and day-to-day life.
Breaking it into clear steps can make the process easier. Understanding your needs, building a shortlist, asking the right questions and reviewing agreements carefully will help you choose with confidence.
If you would like help comparing providers, you can reach out to Aged Care Decisions for free, independent support to narrow your options and feel more confident about your next step.
