04 Dec 2025

Guide to Choosing the Right Aged Care Package

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Key Takeaways

• Understanding aged care packages: Aged care packages coordinate home support so older adults can live safely, comfortably, and independently.
• Recognising care needs: Early signs such as fatigue, mobility changes, or social withdrawal can indicate it’s time to explore additional support.
• Comparing care options: Different programs,  from entry-level to coordinated and restorative, provide tailored levels of assistance based on individual needs.
• Choosing the right provider: Quality care, clear communication, and family involvement are essential when selecting an aged care provider.
• Getting started with support: Begin by visiting My Aged Care to register for an assessment, review providers, and plan funding to ensure care matches you or your loved one’s goals and lifestyle.
• Why choose The District Nurses: With over 125 years of local experience, The District Nurses delivers trusted, person-centred care that supports families across Tasmania.

Choosing the right aged care package can feel overwhelming. You might be balancing work, family, and caring responsibilities while wanting to support your loved one’s independence, comfort, and safety at home. It’s natural to feel unsure about where to start or which option is suitable.

An aged care package is a coordinated way of arranging assistance at home, so support matches an individual’s needs, routines, and goals. This guide explains what aged care packages are, how different levels of support work, and what to consider when comparing providers. It’s designed to help you and your family make informed decisions while keeping your loved one at the centre of each important choice.

Understanding Aged Care Packages and Who They Support

An aged care package is a coordinated way of organising assistance at home so you or your loved one can stay safe, comfortable, and independent for as long as possible. Rather than arranging separate services on your own, an aged care package brings support together under one plan that reflects an individual’s needs, routines, and goals. This can include personal care, domestic assistance, nursing, and social support, depending on what’s required.

These packages are designed for older individuals who are starting to find daily tasks more tiring or difficult, or who have health conditions that need regular attention. They also support families and carers who are doing a lot already and need reliable, ongoing help they can trust. For some, entry-level or temporary support is enough. For others, more structured assistance through Support at Home may be more suitable.

Aged care packages are especially helpful when people want to stay in their own home rather than move into residential care. By tailoring services to what matters most to them, aged care packages provide practical support while respecting dignity, preferences, and independence.

Learn more about aged care services

Recognising You or Your Loved One's Care Needs

It can be hard to know when it’s time to consider more structured support for your loved one. Often, changes appear gradually, and families only realise how much they’re doing when they stop and look at the whole picture. Taking time to notice where daily life is becoming more difficult can help you understand what kind of aged care package may be appropriate and where extra assistance could make the biggest difference.

• Daily living and personal care: Tasks like showering, dressing, grooming, or preparing meals are becoming harder, less safe, or more tiring to manage alone.
• Mobility and safety at home: If you or your loved one's sense of balance is declining, a fall has occurred, or certain areas of the home are now being avoided because of fears of falling, it is time to consider improvements.
• Health and medical needs: Ongoing conditions, medications, or wound care need regular attention, and managing these is becoming stressful or complex.
• Emotional wellbeing and connection: You or your loved one is more withdrawn, anxious, or spending long periods alone with limited social contact or meaningful activities.

If you recognise some of these signs, it may be time to explore additional support. Noticing these changes early allows you to plan calmly, involve your family in decisions, and consider an aged care package that supports wellbeing and your role as a carer.

Comparing Types and Levels of Aged Care Support

Support at Home (Previously Home Care Packages)

Support at Home is intended for individuals who have higher or more complex needs and require a coordinated approach to care. It brings together a range of services under one personalised plan, so your loved one can continue living at home with the right structure and assistance in place.

Services may include personal care, nursing support, domestic assistance, help with equipment or home modifications, and support for social and emotional wellbeing. A care coordinator or Community Nurse Navigator works with you and your loved one to plan services, review progress, and adjust support as needs change over time.

This level of care is particularly suitable when there are several areas of daily life that need regular assistance, or when health conditions require ongoing monitoring. It also supports family carers by providing reliable, long-term help that’s tailored to your loved one’s goals and routines.

Learn more about Support at Home

Commonwealth Home Support Program (Entry-Level Home Support)

The Commonwealth Home Support Program is designed for older individuals who are mostly independent but starting to find some everyday tasks more difficult. It focuses on light, practical assistance that helps your loved one stay safe and comfortable at home while maintaining as much independence as possible.

Support under this program can include domestic assistance, such as cleaning, laundry, and simple meal preparation, along with basic personal care and help with shopping or transport to appointments. Some social support may also be available to reduce isolation and encourage gentle community involvement.

This level of support is often a helpful first step when you’ve noticed small changes that are beginning to affect daily life. It can ease the pressure on family carers, provide reassurance for everyone, and delay or reduce the need for more intensive services in the future.

Learn more about the Commonwealth Home Support Program

Short-term Restorative Care

Short-term Restorative Care is designed for individuals who are recovering from illness, injury, or a hospital stay. The focus is on improving strength, confidence, and independence so you or your loved one can safely return to, and remain in, their home environment.

This type of support may involve nursing care, physiotherapy or other allied health input, along with personal care and domestic assistance during the recovery period. The care team works with you or your loved one to set clear goals, such as walking safely indoors, managing daily tasks, or rebuilding confidence with everyday activities.

Restorative support is time-limited and goal-oriented. Once the program ends, some individuals may be able to manage independently again, while others might move into entry-level support or Support at Home if ongoing assistance is needed.

Learn more about Short-term Restorative Care

Key Factors When Choosing an Aged Care Provider

Quality of Care and Clinical Standards

Choosing a provider with strong clinical standards helps you feel confident that you or your loved one is receiving safe, reliable support. It’s important to look beyond service lists and understand how care is delivered day to day, and how the provider maintains quality over time.

• Qualified staff: Nurses and support workers have appropriate training, experience, and ongoing supervision.
• Clear care planning: Care plans are documented, regularly reviewed, and updated when your loved one’s needs change.
• Safety processes: There are clear procedures for medication management, infection control, and responding to incidents or concerns.
• Consistency of care: The provider aims for continuity, so your loved one sees familiar staff whenever possible.

When these foundations are in place, they support you or your loved one’s health, along with a sense of comfort and security. They also reassure families that care decisions are guided by professional standards, not convenience or availability.

Communication, Transparency, and Family Involvement

Good communication is central to a positive care experience. You should feel informed, listened to, and able to ask questions at any time. A provider that values open communication will help you and your loved one feel more supported and involved in every stage of care.

• Clear explanations: Services, schedules, and any changes are explained in plain, respectful language.
• Transparent information: Fees, funding, and inclusions are outlined clearly so there are no unexpected costs.
• Regular updates: The provider keeps you informed when your loved one’s health or support needs change.
• Family partnership: Families are invited to share insights, attend reviews, and be part of important decisions.

When a provider communicates in this way, it strengthens trust and makes it easier to work together. It also helps ensure that your loved one’s care remains aligned with preferences, values, and daily routines.

Involving Your Family in the Decision

Choosing an aged care package is a personal and often emotional step, so it’s important that you or your loved one feels included and heard. Whenever possible, involve key decision makers early in conversations about support, rather than waiting until there’s a crisis. Gentle, regular discussions can help them share what feels difficult, what values, and what kind of assistance would work best.

You might start by talking about specific parts of daily life, such as showering, preparing meals, or getting to appointments, and asking how these tasks feel now. Listening carefully to the details will help show what matters most, whether it’s staying at home, keeping certain routines, or maintaining social connections. Including other family members, such as siblings, can also spread responsibility and bring different perspectives.

It can be helpful to approach these conversations as a shared planning process, rather than a decision that’s being made for you or your loved one. Providers like The District Nurses can support these discussions by explaining options clearly and answering questions for both you and your family. When everyone feels involved, it’s easier to choose an aged care package that respects you or your loved one’s dignity and supports the whole family.

Getting Started with Assessments, Funding, and Next Steps

Once you have a clearer picture of the needs, the next step is to put formal support in place. This can feel complex at first, especially when assessments and funding are involved, but taking it step by step makes the process much more manageable. Starting with a government assessment helps ensure you or your loved one receives the right level of support through programs such as Commonwealth Home Support Program or Support at Home.

• Arrange an assessment: Contact My Aged Care by calling 1800 200 422 or visiting their website to arrange an assessment to determine the type of support required based on your or your loved one’s health, daily activities, and living situation.
• Prepare information: Gather medical histories, medication lists, details of current supports, and any reports from health professionals so the assessor has a complete picture.
• Review providers: Look at a small number of approved providers, focusing on quality, communication, and how well their services align with you or your loved one’s preferences and goals.
• Discuss funding and fees: Ask for clear information about government subsidies, possible co-contributions, and any additional costs so you understand how funding will work in your situation.

Taking these steps gradually can reduce stress for both you and your loved one. You don’t have to have every answer before you begin. Providers like The District Nurses can guide you through what to expect from the assessment, explain available services under different programs, and help you understand funding arrangements. With the right information and support, you can move forward with greater confidence, knowing you’re putting a plan in place that supports you or your loved one’s safety, comfort, and independence at home.

Choosing The District Nurses as a Trusted Provider

Once you understand the types of aged care support available, choosing a provider you trust becomes one of the most important decisions. You’re not only looking for services, but you’re also choosing a team to walk alongside you or your loved one and family. The District Nurses combines professional standards with a long history of supporting Tasmanians to live safely and independently at home.

• Experience you can trust: More than 128 years of supporting individuals and families across Tasmania with compassionate, community-based care.
• Local, coordinated support: Services delivered by local teams who understand Tasmanian communities, including assistance through Commonwealth Home Support and Support at Home.
• Personalised care planning: Community Nurse Navigators and coordinators who work with you to develop, review, and adjust care plans as needs change.
• Respectful, person-centred care: Staff who focus on dignity, comfort, and independence, while keeping families informed and involved.

Choosing The District Nurses means partnering with a provider that understands both the practical and emotional sides of aged care. With clear communication, consistent support, and a strong focus on wellbeing, our team helps your loved one feel safe and supported at home while giving your family greater peace of mind.

Contact The District Nurses today