Neither Coles nor Woolworths currently advertises priority home delivery for seniors, but both offer standard grocery delivery, with fees and options that depend on your address and the service you choose. Woolworths offers a 10% Delivery Unlimited discount to eligible account holders aged 60 and over. If you need someone to shop with you or for you, shopping assistance may be available through Support at Home or the Commonwealth Home Support Program.
Key Takeaways
- Coles home delivery for seniors uses standard delivery, with fees and availability depending on your address.
- Woolworths home delivery for seniors includes 10% off Delivery Unlimited for eligible account holders aged 60 and over.
- Support at Home and the Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP) can provide a worker to shop with you or for you.
- Shopping assistance is an everyday living service under Support at Home, and you still pay for your groceries.
If getting to the shops or walking around the supermarket has become difficult for you, perhaps you’ve considered home delivery. The two main supermarket chains no longer offer priority home delivery for seniors, but you can still get standard delivery services. You may also be eligible for shopping assistance through My Aged Care.
Is Priority Home Delivery Still Available through the Supermarkets?
Not at the moment. Coles and Woolworths introduced priority delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic, but neither now advertises it on its consumer delivery pages.
Their regular delivery services are still available. What you pay and which time slots you can choose will depend on your address and order.
Coles Home Delivery for Seniors
Coles home delivery for seniors runs through the standard Coles website and app. There’s no separate Coles online shopping for seniors service and no priority delivery program for older customers.
Coles online delivery options depend on your address and the time slots available. Before you place an order, check the delivery fee, the minimum spend and whether someone needs to be home to receive it.
Check Coles home delivery options.
What Does Coles Home Delivery Cost?
Coles delivery charges depend on your order, the service you choose and your delivery window. Coles doesn’t currently advertise a seniors discount on its standard delivery page.
Don’t assume your age or a concession card will reduce the delivery fee. Check the total at checkout before you confirm the order.
Woolworths Home Delivery for Seniors
Woolworths home delivery for seniors also runs through the standard online shopping service, and there’s no separate Woolworths online shopping delivery for seniors. Delivery windows and fees depend on your address and your order.
Check the conditions for receiving your groceries before you book. Woolworths says you need to be home for your first delivery and for any order containing restricted products.
Check Woolworths home delivery options.
What Is the Woolworths Delivery Fee for Seniors?
The Woolworths delivery fee for seniors is the same standard delivery pricing every customer pays, so your age won’t make individual deliveries free.
If you’re 60 or over, you may be eligible for 10% off a paid Delivery Unlimited subscription. The discount reduces the subscription price, not the cost of your groceries, and order conditions and extra fees can still apply.
Can a Home Care Support Worker Shop for You?
Yes, shopping assistance can include a support worker going to the shops with you or doing the shopping on your behalf. It may also include help organising home-delivered groceries.
It’s available through both Support at Home and the Commonwealth Home Support Program. You need an aged care assessment and approval for the service, and a provider has to be available to deliver it.
You don’t have to use online supermarket delivery to get shopping assistance. Unaccompanied shopping, where a support worker shops for you, is on the Support at Home service list.
If you already receive home care, ask your provider whether shopping assistance is in your approved services and care plan. Tell them whether you want to go to the shops yourself, have someone shop from a list or get help organising deliveries, so they can match the right worker and visit time to the task.
If cooking is also part of the picture, compare meal prep and meal delivery under Support at Home.
What Will You Pay for Shopping Assistance?
Under Support at Home, shopping assistance is part of domestic assistance, which sits in the everyday living category. That covers both accompanied and unaccompanied shopping.
The category matters because everyday living services can attract a contribution from you. See how Support at Home contributions work, and ask your provider to explain the service price and your contribution before any visits are arranged.
CHSP also offers shopping assistance through domestic assistance, but it has its own contribution arrangements. The Support at Home categories and contribution rules don’t apply, so ask your CHSP provider what you’ll pay. Compare CHSP and Support at Home.
Do You Still Pay for Groceries?
Yes. Aged care funding may help cover the cost of an eligible shopping service, but you’ll still pay for the groceries and any other items the worker buys.
Supermarket delivery fees are separate. Being approved for shopping assistance doesn’t automatically cover a delivery subscription or every fee attached to an online order.
What if You Need Help Receiving Deliveries?
A supermarket driver will get your order to your address, but they may not carry the bags into your kitchen or put the groceries away.
Check exactly what the delivery includes before ordering. If you need help unpacking, ask your home care provider whether a worker can be there during the delivery window and whether this can be included in your service plan.
How to Access Shopping Assistance
If you’re not already receiving aged care services, contact My Aged Care on 1800 200 422 or apply online for an aged care assessment.
Describe the tasks you need help with, such as getting to the shops, carrying bags or arranging groceries when you can’t shop yourself. The assessment decides which services you’re approved for, so specific examples help it reflect your day-to-day life.
If you already have approved services, start with your provider. Ask whether your current approval covers shopping assistance, or whether you need to request a support plan review.
Find a Provider Who Offers Shopping Assistance
Shopping assistance is often one part of the support you need at home, so it helps to compare providers who can offer it alongside your other approved services.
We don’t arrange grocery deliveries or shopping ourselves, but we can help you find a provider who does.
- Matching: we compare home care providers based on your location, care needs and preferences
- Current availability: we check which providers have capacity in your area
- Independence: we’re independent, and we don’t take payment from you
- No obligation: you decide whether to go ahead with any provider
Aged Care Decisions 100% free service for families
Aged Care Decisions provides assistance to families at every stage of the aged care or home care journey. We assist thousands of families to find aged care providers to suit their specific needs.
Here’s how Aged Care Decisions’ FREE aged care matching service works:
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