The federal government has confirmed it will scrap plans to charge older Australians for basic personal care tasks like showering, dressing and continence support delivered at home under the Support at Home program. Instead, the Commonwealth will fully fund these specific personal care services, so older people will not have to pay co‑payments for them.
This represents a major shift from the earlier fee model, which treated personal care as an independence service and required older Australians to contribute a percentage of the cost, even for essential tasks like a daily shower. The change is expected to begin from October 2026, after the necessary legislation and system changes are in place.
How This Differs From The Previous Plan
Under the Support at Home settings that started in late 2025, services are grouped into three categories: clinical care, independence, and everyday living. Clinical care (like nursing and physiotherapy) is fully funded by the government, but people have been asked to contribute to the cost of independence supports such as personal care, and everyday living supports such as cleaning and gardening.
Personal care (which includes showering, bathing, dressing, grooming, mobility support and non‑clinical continence assistance) has been classified as an independence support, so people were being charged percentages of the hourly rate based on their income and assets. In practice, that meant some older Australians were facing out‑of‑pocket costs of around $50 per hour just to get help with a basic shower.
Who Will Benefit From The Change To Support at Home?
This decision will particularly help:
- New Support at Home participants who would otherwise have had to pay co‑payments for showering, dressing and continence support as part of their personal care services.
- Self‑funded retirees and higher‑income participants, who were facing the highest personal care contribution percentages and therefore the largest dollar out‑of‑pocket costs.
- Full and part pensioners who rely on regular personal care to stay safe at home, as more of their budget will now be available for other services like domestic assistance, transport and social support.
For many families, this change will remove a difficult trade‑off between affording enough showering support and paying for other essential services in their Support at Home plan.
When Will The New Rules Start?
The government has indicated that the new arrangements for showering, dressing and continence care will commence from October 2026, once the required legislation and administrative changes have been finalised. Until then, the existing co‑contribution model for independence and everyday living services under Support at Home continues to apply.
That means anyone starting on Support at Home before the new rules begin may still be asked to contribute to the cost of personal care services for a period of time. However, providers and families can now plan ahead and factor in the upcoming reduction in out‑of‑pocket costs for showering, dressing and continence support.
What Still Attracts Fees Under Support At Home?
It is important to note that this announcement does not make all Support at Home services free.
Under the broader Support at Home rules:
- Clinical care (for example, nursing and allied health) is fully funded for everyone and will remain free of co‑payments.
- Independence supports (for example, personal care, social support, transport, some equipment and home modifications) generally attract moderate contributions, except for the specific tasks of showering, dressing and continence care which will now be fully funded.
- Everyday living supports (for example, domestic assistance, meal preparation, shopping and gardening) attract the highest contributions, with percentages based on your income and assets.
A lifetime cap on contributions still applies, so once a person has paid up to the capped amount over their lifetime, they cannot be charged more for independence and everyday living services.
Learn more about Support at Home fees and contributions.
What This Means For Families Right Now
For families currently navigating Support at Home, this change offers greater peace of mind that essential personal care at home can be maintained without unaffordable fees once the new rules start. It should make it easier to plan for regular, ongoing showering and continence support across the eight Support at Home classifications, especially at higher levels where daily personal care is common.
In the meantime, it is still crucial to:
- Make sure personal care needs, including showering, dressing and continence support, are clearly documented in the Support at Home assessment and Support Plan.
- Compare providers carefully on pricing, service availability and how many hours of care they can deliver within the government budget for each classification.
- Ask providers explicitly about how they will implement the October 2026 changes in their pricing and monthly statements.
How Aged Care Decisions Can Help
Finding a Support at Home provider with capacity to deliver regular personal care can be challenging, especially when you are also trying to understand changing government rules and fees. Aged Care Decisions works with a large network of approved home care providers and can quickly identify which ones have availability for services like showering, dressing and continence care in your local area.
Our service is 100% free and independent for families—providers pay an industry‑standard fee, so you stay in control of which provider you choose. We create an options report of suitable providers tailored to your needs, help you compare pricing and inclusions, and support you through sign‑up so you can start receiving the fully funded personal care you are entitled to as soon as possible.
Get your FREE Personalised Options Report today.
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