Aged Care
The zero-cost services you could be eligible for through My Aged Care
Nursing, physiotherapy, podiatry, psychology and eight other professions carry no out-of-pocket cost under Support at Home — and personal care joins them on 1 October 2026. Here's the full list, and what isn't on it.
· 4 min read
The short version
- Clinical supports carry a 0% contribution — if you're eligible, there's no out-of-pocket cost
- They include services like nursing care, allied health, nutrition support, care management and personal care (from 1 October 2026)
- This amount isn't means tested — you pay 0% regardless of your income or assets
Understanding what aged care covers is half the battle. What counts as a shower? How often can we see the physio? Is a haircut included?
Clinical supports are the only category of service that's 100% covered by aged care funding. Here's what that means for you.
Everything on this list costs nothing
- A nurse. Assessing and monitoring, treatment, wound care, skin integrity, administering medications. Registered nurses, enrolled nurses and nursing assistants all sit here, alongside teaching you how to manage these tasks between visits.
- 11 allied health professions. The list includes allied health assistants counsellors or psychotherapists, dietitians or nutritionists, exercise physiologists, music therapists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, podiatrists, psychologists, social workers and speech pathologists.
- Prescribed nutrition, including the enteral feeding supplement, if needed.
- Care management, coordinating the care, managing phone calls, knowing what's happening.
- Restorative care management, if that pathway is part of your plan.
What about personal care?
Also zero cost!
From 1 October 2026, personal care services fall under clinical supports, so they no longer carry out-of-pocket costs.
That includes:
- Showering
- Dressing
- Help at mealtime
- Help with taking self-managed medication
- Non-clinical continence support
What you do pay for
The independence category includes services that help maintain independence at home, such as:
- Social support
- Therapeutic services
- Respite
- Transport
- Home modifications
Depending on your category, your contribution is between 5% and 50% of the price.
Then there's everyday living, which includes services like:
- Cleaning
- Washing
- Gardening
- Shopping
This one carries the highest contribution cost. Depending on your category, you'll be paying between 17.5% and 80% of the price.
What's not covered
Support at Home is meant to keep older people at home for longer, and the services it covers reflect that.
My Aged Care rules out:
- Ambulance and hospital costs
- Medical diagnosis and treatment
- Medicine dispensing
- Psychiatry
- Dental care
These all belong to the health system (which means some of them may be separately covered by Medicare and/or private health insurance, where it's available).
Not sure if you're covered? My Aged Care has a list of everything that's included in each category, in detail.
The practical bitWhat to do this week
- Read the care plan. That's the document that says what you receive.
- Make a note of anything on the list you've been doing yourself.
- Take it off your plate — call your provider and ask for those services by name.
Common questions
Yes, physio is an allied health service under Support at Home, which sits in clinical supports and carries a 0% contribution. To access it, you must have it in your care plan and have funding available in your budget.
Yes, podiatry is an allied health service under Support at Home, which sits in clinical supports and carries a 0% contribution. To access it, you must have it in your care plan and have funding available in your budget.
No, dental care is named in the My Aged Care services list as out of scope. It sits in the Australian healthcare system, not with aged care.
No. A care worker can help someone take medication they administer themselves, which falls under personal care and has a 0% contribution (from 1 October 2026). Administering it is nursing, for which a care worker is not qualified.
My Aged Care lists psychology as an allied health profession. A psychiatrist is a medical doctor and falls within the Australian healthcare system, and is excluded from the list of services covered by My Aged Care.