Level 1 home care package

So, you’ve been approved for a Level 1 home care package – congratulations! You are one step closer to getting the support you need to keep you safe and independent at home. You may be wondering what kind of services – and how many – are included in a Level 1 home care package.

Now is a great time to research. This will help you know exactly what to expect in a Level 1 home care package, and what you’re eligible for when your package is available. To help, we’ve put together this explainer.

What services you can purchase with a Level 1 home care package

Level 1 is the ‘entry level’ package of government-subsidised support at home. It is designed for people who are mostly active and in relatively good health, except some things have become a bit harder to manage. For example, you might be having trouble keeping the house and garden up to scratch. Or, you no longer have a driver’s licence and aren’t getting out as often as you’d like.

Level 1 home care package can help pay for basic services, such as:

gardening
cleaning
meal preparation
allied health and nursing
help with shopping
anything else that will help you to live happily and independently at home

A senior women chopping vegetables. She is pictured with an LCHS staff member. Both are smiling at the camera.

The services you buy using your home care package funds will differ from what other people pay for. They are based on your needs and the things that will help you live a full and active life.

Meet Jo

Jo is 70 years old. He loves living at home, but he’s finding a few things around the house are becoming a bit harder to manage.

Using his Level 1 home care package, Jo and his Care Advisor planned:

One hour of shopping help each week – a support worker takes Jo to the supermarket to buy his weekly groceries
One hour of house cleaning each fortnight – a support worker completes the harder cleaning tasks, like changing the sheets, vacuuming and removing cobwebs
Two hours of gardening help each month – a support worker mows the lawns, weeds the garden beds and prunes overgrown plants (all the things Jo finds harder to do)
A monthly pharmacy account to buy some medicine prescribed by his GP.

A senior man wearing a green bucket hat and beige shirt smiles at the camera

What is a Level 1 home care package worth?

A Level 1 Home Care package is $9,000 per year.

The money in a home care package comes from two sources: you contribute, and the Government contributes. The combined money is the ‘home care package’. If you are on a full pension, you don’t have to contribute anything – the Government will provide the full amount. If your income is higher than the basic pension, you may contribute to the cost of your home care package. The Government contribution to your home care package is reduced – but the overall amount of the home care package (your contribution + Government contribution) remains the same.

Consider the help you need

When you’re assigned a Level 1 home care package, your chosen provider will work with you to plan your care and organise the services you need. While you’re waiting for your package, it’s worth thinking about how you’re living now and what kind of help would make life easier for you.

Ask yourself

How am I going with the housework? What is easy and what is harder to do?
Am I still preparing meals three times a day?
How often do I go grocery shopping?
Am I still driving?
Am I making it to the social groups (golf club, country women’s association, men’s shed) I care about?
What do I need help with most?
What support would make life easier for me?

Answer each question honestly and have a copy of your answers with you when you’re ready to plan your package of services. If your needs change, revisit this list and let My Aged Care know – they can arrange another aged care assessment to see if you’re eligible for a higher level package of services.

Still not sure what services or equipment you can buy with a Level 1 home care package? Download our guide to learn the different home care package services you can receive.

Need help navigating a Level 1 home care package?

Fill out the form, and we’ll call you within one business day.