Why So Many Older Australians Are on the Wrong Level of Funding, and How to Fix It

It's one of the most common things our aged care manager Jenn hears when she sits down with a new client for the first time.

"I'm on a package, but I don't really feel like I'm getting much out of it."

Or: "I was assessed a few years ago, but things have changed a lot since then."

Or simply: "I didn't realise I could ask for more."

The reality is that a significant number of older Australians are living on a Support at Home (formerly Home Care) package that doesn't accurately reflect their current needs. Some are on too low a level of funding. Some have a package that was set up years ago and has never been reviewed. Some have simply never been told that their entitlements can change as their circumstances do.

This is not a small problem. Being on the wrong level of funding means going without support you need, placing more pressure on family members, and in some cases, declining faster than you need to because the right care isn't in place.

Here's why it happens, and what you can do about it.

Why Funding Levels Fall Behind

The Support at Home program allocates funding based on an assessment of a person's needs and functional capacity. The higher the need, the higher the level of funding. Simple in theory. In practice, it's more complicated.

Assessments are conducted at a point in time. Life moves on. Health changes. Conditions progress. New challenges emerge. But the assessment that was done two or three years ago doesn't automatically update to reflect that. Someone has to go back and ask for a review.

For many older Australians, that simply doesn't happen. They don't know they can request a reassessment. They don't want to be seen as complaining or asking for too much. They assume that if they were entitled to more, someone would have told them. Or they've tried to navigate the system themselves and found it too confusing to pursue.

Meanwhile, their package sits at a level that was right for them two years ago but isn't right for them now.

The Signs Your Funding Might Not Be Enough

There are some common signs that a package may no longer be meeting a person's needs.

You or your family member is regularly running out of funding before the end of the month. Services have been reduced or cut back because the budget won't stretch. There are tasks you need help with that aren't being covered. Your health or functional capacity has changed significantly since your last assessment. You're relying more heavily on family members to fill the gaps, and that arrangement is becoming unsustainable.

Any one of these is a signal worth paying attention to. Together, they're a clear case for requesting a reassessment.

What a Reassessment Involves

A reassessment is a fresh look at your needs and circumstances by the Aged Care Assessment Team, known as ACAT. It follows a similar process to your original assessment, involving a conversation about your daily living situation, your health, your goals, and what support you need to live well at home.

The key to a successful reassessment is preparation. Going in with clear, specific examples of what you're struggling with, what tasks you can no longer manage independently, and how your situation has changed since your last assessment gives the assessor the information they need to make the right determination.

This is where having a care coordinator in your corner makes an enormous difference. A good coordinator knows how to document needs effectively, how to communicate with assessors, and how to make sure nothing important is overlooked.

Advocating for the Right Level of Support

One of the most important parts of our aged care manager Jenn's role is advocating for clients to receive the level of funding that genuinely reflects their needs.

This isn't about gaming the system. It's about making sure the system works the way it's supposed to. The Support at Home program is designed to fund the care people actually need. When someone is under-funded, the program isn't doing its job.

Jenn has helped many clients over the years to have their packages reviewed and upgraded, and the difference it makes to their daily lives is significant. More support at home means more independence, less reliance on family, and a better quality of life.

If you suspect your package or a family member's package isn't reflecting current needs, the most important thing you can do is have a conversation with someone who knows the system well.

We offer a free 15-minute discovery call with Jenn for exactly this purpose. No jargon, no obligation, just an honest conversation about where things are at and what might be possible.