Aged Care Physio Home Care packages explained

Physiotherapy at home through aged care is funded across three tiers, and which one applies depends on how much support you need: the Commonwealth Home Support Program for something minor, Support at Home for ongoing needs, and restorative care following a fall or major surgery.

Commonwealth Home Support Program

This is the entry tier. It suits something niggling, a smaller injury where you do not need ongoing physiotherapy but you do want advice on how to sort it out and what to do yourself.

There is a small co-payment, and access does not require the extensive assessment the higher tiers involve. For many people this is the appropriate starting point rather than the fallback.

Support at Home

This is the main tier, and where most people now sit. It requires a full assessment, usually involving a physiotherapist and an occupational therapist, and often a doctor and a nurse as well.

That assessment determines your funding tier, and the tier in turn determines how much physiotherapy is allocated to you across the year. It is worth being accurate about what you are struggling with at that assessment, because the picture it captures sets the funding.

Restorative care

Restorative care is generally used after a significant fall or a major surgery such as a hip replacement. It provides access to physiotherapy over a defined period, typically around six to eight weeks.

The point of the tier is concentrated support during the window where recovery moves fastest, rather than open-ended care.

What happens when restorative care ends

If you still need physiotherapy or ongoing care when that period closes, that is not the end of the road. You can be assessed for the Support at Home package and move onto ongoing funding from there.

Knowing this in advance matters, because the transition is smoother when it is planned before the restorative period finishes rather than after.

Getting physiotherapy at home

Once funding is in place, a physiotherapist can come to you. Being seen at home has a genuine advantage for this kind of care: the assessment happens in the environment where you actually move, which shows up things a clinic visit can miss, from step heights to the chair you find hardest to get out of.

Frequently asked questions

Which aged care tier do I need for physiotherapy at home?

It depends on how much support you need. Something minor with no ongoing requirement usually fits the Commonwealth Home Support Program. Ongoing needs point to Support at Home. Recovery from a fall or major surgery generally goes through restorative care. An assessment determines which applies.

Do I need an assessment to get physiotherapy at home?

For Support at Home and restorative care, yes, a full assessment is required. The Commonwealth Home Support Program does not need an extensive assessment, which is part of why it works well as an entry point for smaller issues.

Who carries out the aged care assessment?

For Support at Home it is usually a team rather than one person, commonly involving a physiotherapist and an occupational therapist, and often a doctor and a nurse. They build a picture of what you need, and that determines the funding tier you are allocated.

Is there a cost for the Commonwealth Home Support Program?

There is a small co-payment at this tier. The amount depends on the program and your circumstances, so it is worth confirming directly when you arrange support rather than assuming.

How long does restorative care last?

It runs for a defined period, typically around six to eight weeks. It is designed as concentrated support during the phase where recovery tends to move fastest, rather than as ongoing care.

What happens when my restorative care period finishes?

If you still need physiotherapy or ongoing support, you can be assessed for the Support at Home package. Planning that assessment before the restorative period ends makes the transition considerably smoother.

Can a physiotherapist come to my home?

Yes. Once funding is in place, physiotherapy can be delivered at home. That has a real advantage for aged care, because the assessment happens in the environment you actually move around in every day.