Aged care and Support at Home funding for equipment
Support at Home equipment, from walking frames to shower chairs, is paid for through a dedicated scheme within the Australian Government's Support at Home program. This page explains how the program and its equipment funding work, how an older person is assessed, and where Allcare Warehouse fits in once funding is approved.
What the Support at Home program is
Support at Home is a government program that helps older people remain at home as they age, with coordinated care and services matched to their assessed needs. It started on 1 November 2025, replacing the Home Care Packages Program and the Short-Term Restorative Care Programme. The Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP) keeps operating for now and will move across no earlier than 1 July 2027.
According to My Aged Care, Support at Home services range from nursing care and occupational therapy to cleaning, gardening and meal preparation. Alongside ongoing care, the program has three short-term pathways, and one of them pays for equipment and changes to the home.
Equipment funding through the AT-HM scheme
That pathway is the Assistive Technology and Home Modifications (AT-HM) scheme. My Aged Care describes assistive technology as products and equipment that make everyday tasks easier and safer, for example:
- wheelchairs, walking frames and walking sticks for getting around
- bedpans and commodes for toileting
- shower chairs and bath boards for bathing
- modified cutlery and adaptive cutting boards for preparing and eating food
Home modifications, such as bathroom grab rails, ramps and stair lifts, fall under the same scheme. AT-HM funding is given upfront and kept separate from a participant's other Support at Home services.
An assessor can approve a funding tier for assistive technology, home modifications or both. The assistive technology funding tiers are:
- Low: under $500
- Medium: up to $2,000
- High: up to $15,000, or more if needed
Funding is generally available for 12 months, and it can only be spent on items on the AT-HM list that meet a need recorded in the person's support plan. The list leaves out some items that are funded by others, including blood pressure meters and body thermometers. Most items carry a participant contribution, while items that need a prescription from a health professional are fully funded by the government.
How an older person is assessed
Equipment funding starts with an aged care assessment. To qualify for an assessment, a person must have care needs and be aged 65 or older, or 50 or older if they are an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person or are homeless or at risk of homelessness.
My Aged Care sets out three ways to apply: online with a Medicare card, by phone on 1800 200 422, or in person with an Aged Care Specialist Officer at a Services Australia centre, booked on 1800 227 475. An assessment organisation then calls to set a date. Most assessments happen at home, although some are done elsewhere, by telehealth or over the phone, and a family member or friend can help with the application and sit in on the assessment.
When AT-HM funding is approved, the assessor records it in the person's Notice of Decision letter and support plan. Where more complex equipment needs a prescription, the Support at Home provider can organise an assessment with a suitably qualified health professional, for example an occupational therapist.
Buying Support at Home equipment from Allcare Warehouse
Under the scheme, the participant's Support at Home provider is responsible for arranging and sourcing AT-HM items, and it can buy assistive technology through an assistive technology supplier. Allcare Warehouse is that kind of supplier. We do not assess anyone, write prescriptions or decide what is funded; those steps belong to the assessor, the health professional and the provider.
Our ranges include many of the item types the list covers, such as rollators and walking frames, walking sticks, manual wheelchairs, commodes, shower chairs, bath boards, over toilet frames and portable wheelchair ramps. Before you order, confirm with your provider that the exact product fits the AT-HM list and the support plan.
When you are ready, have your provider's details, the product names from our website and any prescription on hand, then follow the steps in how to order. Providers must keep an invoice for every AT-HM item, plus at least one record confirming delivery, such as a signed delivery slip, so mention that the order is for a Support at Home participant. We deliver across Sydney, or you can collect your order from our Liverpool showroom or Croydon Park location.
Frequently asked questions
Can I buy equipment while I wait for my assessment?
Yes. You do not need any funding to buy from Allcare Warehouse. AT-HM funding, however, can only be used once it has been allocated, a provider has been found and that provider has notified Services Australia. If you hope to have an item funded, speak with your provider before buying it.
Do I have to wait for my other Support at Home services to start?
No. AT-HM funding is allocated through its own priority systems, separate from ongoing Support at Home funding. A participant can start using it once it is allocated and a provider is in place, even while still waiting for funding for other approved services.
What if my funding tier does not cover what I need?
Your provider can ask for a support plan review and give evidence that a higher tier is needed. Assistive technology over $15,000 can be approved too, but it needs a request form and evidence, such as a quote and a valid prescription from a suitably qualified health professional.
Does the scheme pay for repairs to equipment?
Yes. Health.gov.au says repairs and maintenance of equipment bought through the scheme should be paid from AT-HM funding. If that funding has expired, the provider can refer the participant for a support plan review to access more.
I moved across from a Home Care Package. How do I get equipment?
People who transitioned from the Home Care Packages Program can use their unspent Commonwealth package funds on items in the AT-HM list. Those funds must be used first, before any AT-HM funding tier. If your needs have changed, you can ask for a reassessment.