Can a person with dementia receive Support at Home?
Yes. A person with dementia can receive Support at Home when assessed as eligible.
Key points
- Yes. A person with dementia can receive Support at Home when assessed as eligible.
- The older person's choices and decision-making rights remain central.
- Small, respectful steps often work better than forcing a complete care arrangement.
Yes. A person living with dementia can receive Support at Home if an aged care assessment finds that they need assistance to remain safe and independent at home.
Eligibility is not based only on having a dementia diagnosis. The assessor considers how the condition affects the person’s everyday life, including:
memory and decision-making
personal care
preparing and eating meals
taking medication safely
mobility and falls risk
household tasks
communication
social participation
behaviour, distress or confusion
the amount of support being provided by family or carers.
If approved, the person’s Notice of Decision and support plan will identify their assessed needs and the types of services they can receive. Services delivered by the provider must align with that approved support plan.
Support may include:
help with showering, dressing and grooming
medication assistance or nursing
meal preparation
domestic assistance
transport to appointments or activities
social support and accompanied outings
respite to give a family carer a break
physiotherapy, occupational therapy or other allied health services
assistive technology
home modifications
support to establish safer routines at home.
The care plan should be tailored to the person’s abilities, routines, preferences and goals. Good dementia support should help the person continue doing as much as they safely can rather than automatically taking over every task.
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01Guide sectionCan family be involved?
Yes. With the person’s consent, a family member, carer or appointed representative can help during the assessment, speak with providers and assist with care planning.
This can be particularly useful when the person has difficulty remembering:
recent falls or incidents
medication problems
changes in eating or personal care
unsafe situations at home
how much unpaid assistance family members are providing.
The person living with dementia should still be included in decisions and supported to express their own preferences wherever possible.
02Guide sectionDoes dementia automatically provide extra funding?
No. A dementia diagnosis does not automatically lead to a particular Support at Home funding classification.
Funding is based on the person’s assessed needs, level of function, risks and required services. Two people with the same diagnosis may therefore receive different support plans.
The former dementia and cognition supplement generally continues only for participants who transferred from the Home Care Packages Program and were receiving, or eligible to receive, that supplement on 31 October 2025. It is not listed as a new primary supplement for people entering Support at Home after that date.
03Guide sectionWill the person have to contribute to the cost?
It depends on the type of service and the person’s financial circumstances.
Clinical supports, such as nursing and physiotherapy, are fully government funded with no participant contribution.
Independence services, such as respite, transport and currently personal care, may require a moderate contribution.
Everyday living services, such as domestic assistance and gardening, attract the highest contribution.
From 1 October 2026, approved personal care will move into the clinical supports category and will be fully government funded.
04Guide sectionWhat should I ask a provider?
When comparing providers, ask:
Do you have workers with dementia-specific training and experience?
Can you provide the same worker consistently?
How do you introduce a new worker to someone who may be anxious or confused?
What happens if the regular worker is unavailable?
How do workers respond to distress, resistance or changes in behaviour?
Will you follow the person’s normal routines and communication preferences?
How will family carers be kept informed?
Can services be increased or changed if the person’s needs progress?
Do you provide respite and after-hours support?
How do you manage medication, falls and other safety risks?
Continuity matters. A person with dementia may find frequent changes of worker, rushed visits or unpredictable schedules particularly difficult.
If the person’s condition or care needs change, the provider can request a Support Plan Review so an aged care assessor can consider whether different services or a higher level of ongoing support is required.
05Guide sectionWhat should I do next?
Choose one practical concern and discuss it without labelling the person as incapable.
Involve a trusted GP, family member or advocate where this may help.
Document formal representative or decision-making authority only where it is actually required.
06Guide sectionHelpful Local Home Help resources
07Guide sectionCheck the official guidance
Check representative and rights information. Aged care rules, funding amounts and program guidance can change, so check the current official information before making an important care or financial decision.
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