Starting with My Aged Care is important

because it is the only official gateway to access heavily subsidised, long-term government funding for aged care in Australia [1].

Without a formal assessment, you cannot access government-funded packages, meaning you would have to pay the full, expensive commercial rate for any services you receive. [1, 2, 3, 4]

Here is a simple breakdown of why you must start there, and how you can still get immediate help while you wait for your assessment.

Why the My Aged Care Assessment is Essential

Unlocks Government Subsidies: The government pays for the majority of your care costs, but only after an assessor approves you.
Determines Your Level of Need: It officially works out exactly what help you need, from simple cleaning (Commonwealth Home Support Programme) to complex medical care (Home Care Packages) [1, 4].
Creates an Official Record: It puts you on the national waitlist for funding, ensuring you don’t lose your place in line. [5, 6, 7, 8, 9]

How to Get Services While Waiting for an Assessment

If you need urgent help and cannot wait for the weeks or months it takes to get assessed, you have three main options to set up care immediately:

1. Pay Privately (Fee-for-Service) [10]

You can bypass the government completely and hire a private home care provider directly [5]. [11, 12, 13]

How it works: You contact a local provider, choose the services you want, and pay 100% of the cost out of your own pocket [5].
Pros: Services can start within days; no government paperwork or approvals are required [5].
Cons: It is expensive, and none of this spending counts toward government-subsidised care packages. [14, 15, 16, 17, 18]

2. Request Emergency Carer Respite

If an emergency happens—such as a primary family carer suddenly falling ill, getting injured, or having an urgent crisis—you can bypass the standard My Aged Care queue [6]. [19, 20, 21, 22]

How it works: Call Carer Gateway immediately on 1800 422 737 [6].
What they do: They can arrange and fund urgent, short-term care for the elderly person to ensure they are safe while their regular carer is unavailable [6]. [23, 24, 25, 26, 27]

3. Hospital Discharge Referrals

If the elderly person is currently in the hospital, the hospital social worker or discharge team can fast-track immediate care. [28, 29, 30]

How it works: The hospital can organize transitional care or short-term services to safely send the patient home before the full My Aged Care assessment takes place. [31, 32]

To help you move forward, let me know:

Is there an urgent safety issue or crisis right now that requires immediate care?
Has an application already been submitted to My Aged Care, or do you need help starting the registration?

[1] https://www.careabout.com.au

[2] https://www.igac.gov.au

[3] https://www.myagedcare.gov.au

[4] https://www.feroscare.com.au

[5] https://home-care.mercyhealth.com.au

[6] https://agedcaredecisions.com.au

[7] https://www.myagedcare.gov.au

[8] https://wisechoiceihc.com.au

[9] https://wisechoiceihc.com.au

[10] https://agedcaredecisions.com.au

[11] https://www.myagedcare.gov.au

[12] https://focuscare.com.au