The indicative hourly market rate for home-care services (personal care, cleaning tasks, support work) commonly starts from $95. For more specialised/home-nursing care, hourly rates tend to be higher. Nursing services start from about $160 per hour, not including goods like bandages, dressings and continence aids where required. 

Of course, overall weekly or monthly cost depends on how many hours of care you need, whether you need simple domestic support or higher-level dementia home care services, and whether services are during standard hours, nights, weekends or public holidays (which tend to cost more).

You can read more about our pricing for Support at Home or discover fully-managed or self-managed private home care.

You have several payment/funding options when it comes to at-home age care or disability support services in Melbourne: 

• Out-of-pocket / privately paid: You pay the hourly or service rate directly to the home care provider (common if you don’t have a package/funding).‍
• Government-subsidised packages: Through national programs such as the new Support at Home program and NDIS, which help cover many home care services based on assessed needs/funding.

You can start receiving private home care as soon as:

• You or a provider organise and agree on the care services, and
• The provider schedules and begins the support sessions

Since you’re paying privately, you can usually begin services almost immediately — it just depends on availability and the provider you choose. Unlike government-subsidised care, private home care has no waiting lists, so support can start as soon as you’re ready. 

This is different from subsidised care, which requires assessments, package assignment, and coordination before services can begin.

1. Contact My Aged Care to request an assessment — they’ll assess your needs to determine if you qualify. 
2. If approved, you’ll be assigned a package level depending on your assessed care needs. 
3. You then choose a home care provider (like Five Good Friends!) who will work with you to plan and deliver care and support services at home. 

Once your care plan and agreement are in place, you can start receiving services.