Level 2 home care package

So, you’ve been approved for a Level 2 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 2 home care package.

Now is a great time to research. This will help you know exactly what to expect in a Level 2 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 2 home care package

There are four levels of home care packages.

Level 2 is the ‘second tier’ package of government-subsidised support at home.

It is designed for people who are not as active as they used to be. They may have one or two health conditions that affect their safety and independence.

For example, you might have found some things around the house have become harder to manage. You may have had a fall and you’re not as confident getting out in the garden. Or, you’re relying more and more on family to do things like shopping, vacuuming or mowing the lawns.

A Level 2 home care package can help pay for equipment that make everyday tasks – like shopping, getting around the house and gardening – easier and safer to do on your own.

A Level 2 home care package can help pay for basic services, such as:

gardening
cleaning
meal preparation
allied health and nursing
help with shopping
home modifications to make your house safer
assistive devices such as walking frames
anything else that will help you to live happily and independently at home

A senior man smiles at the camera. He is standing next to an LCHS staff member wearing an orange high vis shirt. The staff member is leaning against a lawn mower and wearing gardening gloves

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

Meet Anjali

Anjali is 81. She’s doing pretty well, but it’s getting harder to move around on her own, and the lawn mowing and house cleaning have become a bit much. Anjali would also feel much safer using a walking frame to reduce her risk of falling.

Using her Level 2 home care package, Anjali and her Care Advisor planned:

Two hours of house cleaning each week – a support worker vacuums, mops, dusts and cleans the bathroom and kitchen
One hour of shopping assistance each week – a support worker buys and unpacks Anjali’s groceries on her behalf
Two hours of lawn mowing each month
A monthly pharmacy account to buy some medicine prescribed by Anjali’s GP
An occupational therapy assessment; a healthcare worker considers Anjali’s health and age, and recommends technology, equipment or home modifications that might make daily tasks – like getting around the house, preparing meals or toileting – easier and safer for Anjali to do on her own
A walking frame, as recommended in Anjali’s occupational therapy assessment
An assessment by a continence nurse and purchase of recommended products

What is a Level 2 home care package worth?

A Level 2 Home Care package is $15,750 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 your Level 2 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 gardening as often as I used to?
Am I preparing three meals a day?
How often do I go grocery shopping?
Have I had a fall, or am I scared of falling?
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 2 home care package? Download our guide to learn the different home care package services you can receive.

Need help navigating a Level 2 home care package?

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