What is personal care? A complete guide for Australians
Learn what personal care is in Australian aged care, including what's covered, who's eligible, and how it's funded.
Personal care is hands-on help with showering, dressing, grooming, toileting, and moving around. It's for older Australians who can't manage these tasks alone. It's delivered across aged care, disability support, and home care. Clinical tasks, such as wound care and administering medication, are nursing care, not personal care. You can access personal care through the Commonwealth Home Support Program or Support at Home. Both require an assessment through My Aged Care. From 1 October 2026, approved Support at Home personal care has no contribution while funds are available. Personal care for people with disabilities is funded through the NDIS Core Supports budget.
In aged care, personal care is help with eating, hygiene, continence support, and medication reminders. Family members, paid carers, or support workers can provide personal care, depending on the person's needs and funding.
This guide explains what personal care includes, how it differs from nursing care, and how to access it in Australia. Care Made Easy supports older Australians who self-manage their Support at Home services, including personal care.
What does personal care mean?
Personal care means hands-on help with everyday tasks that protect a person's health, dignity, and comfort. It spans hygiene, grooming, mobility, and continence.
Injections and complex wound care are classified as clinical or nursing care, not personal care.
What is personal care in aged care?
Personal care in aged care is the structured, daily support provided to older Australians. That support helps them stay clean, comfortable, and independent, at home or in a care facility.
Personal care is available through both the Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP) and Support at Home. The latter replaced the Home Care Packages program on 1 November 2025.
The Commonwealth Home Support Program is a separate program. It continues alongside Support at Home until 30 June 2029, according to My Aged Care.
Eligible Australians can access personal care through an assessment via My Aged Care.
From 1 October 2026, Support at Home participants pay no contribution for approved personal care. This applies while they have Support at Home funds available.
What is personal care in disability services?
For people with disabilities, personal care is help with everyday tasks like showering, dressing, and using the toilet. Under the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), it's funded through the Core Supports budget. It falls within the "Assistance with daily life" support category.
Under the NDIS, a personal care assistant is a support worker. They help with showering, dressing, and transfers. Their role is to help you build or maintain independence, not take it away.
NDIS participants work with their planner or coordinator to decide how many support hours they need. Funding is then allocated so the participant can choose their own provider.
How do you access personal care through My Aged Care?
To get government-funded personal care, you first apply for an aged care assessment through My Aged Care. The application takes 15 to 20 minutes, and you can apply in three ways.
- Online: apply using your Medicare card.
- By phone: call My Aged Care on 1800 200 422, Monday to Friday 8 am to 8 pm, or Saturday 10 am to 2 pm.
- In person: call 1800 227 475 to book an appointment with an Aged Care Specialist Officer at a Services Australia office.
A family member, friend, or carer can help you apply. With your permission, they can also apply on your behalf. Interpreters are available if you speak a language other than English.
What happens after you apply?
An assessor will usually contact you within 2 to 6 weeks to arrange an assessment. Assessments are run through the Single Assessment System. This system replaced the Aged Care Assessment Teams (ACATs) on 9 December 2024.
The assessment works out which services you need. My Aged Care also posts you a welcome pack, and you can track your application in your online account. After your assessment, you can find a provider in your area.
If you need care urgently, call My Aged Care on 1800 200 422. Some services are available short-term, before or without an assessment.
How does personal care differ from clinical or nursing care?
Not every task involving the body counts as personal care. Some tasks are clinical and generally need a nurse or other qualified health professional. The table below shows how the two compare.
Some tasks sit between the two. A support worker may help with these, but only after training and delegation from a clinician. If unsure, ask your provider which category a task falls into.
Grey-area tasks like PEG feeds or insulin pen injections need formal delegation from a nurse to a support worker. In practice, a nurse manages the clinical side. A support worker handles personal care during the same visit, following state-based guidelines.
What is the difference between personal care, home care, and domestic assistance?
These terms are often used together, but each describes a different service. The table below sets out what each one covers.
A single home care visit may include several of these at once. For example, a worker might help someone shower, then prepare breakfast and tidy the kitchen.
What if you give personal care to a family member?
Many family members help with personal care without formal training. Support is available if you need advice, a break, or someone to take over.
- Your GP can advise on safe ways to help with showering, moving, and continence.
- Carer Gateway can help you find respite care, so someone else takes over while you rest.
- For emergency respite, call Carer Gateway on 1800 422 737 at any time.
- A home care provider can take over some or all personal care through the CHSP or Support at Home.
FAQs
What is a personal care assistant?
A personal care assistant (PCA) is a trained support worker who helps with daily hygiene, grooming, dressing, and mobility. PCAs work in home care, aged care facilities, hospitals, and disability support settings. Clinical procedures stay with registered nurses, not PCAs.
Does personal care include help with medication?
Yes, but only help with taking your own medication. Under the Support at Home service list, this includes arranging for a pharmacist to prepare dose administration aids (such as Webster-paks). Giving someone their medication is nursing care, not personal care.
What isn't included in personal care under Support at Home?
Professional services you'd usually pay for yourself aren't included. For example, waxing and hairdressing. Medicines are also excluded because the health system funds them, according to the Support at Home service list.
Are personal care services means-tested in Australia?
No. From 1 October 2026, the government fully funds approved personal care under Support at Home. So, participants pay no contribution.
My Aged Care says personal care moves from the Independence category to the Clinical supports category on that date. This applies while participants have Support at Home funds available. Other Support at Home services, such as domestic assistance, still attract contributions.
Getting started with personal care
Personal care can help older Australians keep living safely at home. The first step is an aged care assessment through My Aged Care, online, by phone, or in person.
From 1 October 2026, approved personal care under Support at Home has no contribution while funds are available. If cost has held you back, speak to your provider about adding more personal care to your plan.
Care Made Easy is a registered Support at Home provider. We deliver personal care at home and support people who self-manage their Support at Home services.
Contact us today to arrange personal care at home. Getting started is quick and easy.
Further Reading
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