Can I change home care providers if I am not happy?
Yes. You can change Support at Home providers if the service is not right for you. Check your service agreement, give any required notice and make sure the new provider can accept you before ending the old arrangement.
Key points
- You have the right to change providers.
- Check notice requirements and confirm the new provider first.
- Plan the handover to avoid gaps in care.
Yes. You can change your Support at Home provider at any time and for any reason.
You might decide to change because of:
unreliable or frequently changing workers
poor communication
services being cancelled or delivered late
unclear or unexpectedly high prices
difficulty contacting your care partner
concerns about service quality or safety
limited flexibility
the provider not offering the services you need
feeling that your preferences are not being respected.
You do not need to prove that the provider has done something wrong before you can leave. Your current provider must support the transfer, and it cannot charge you an exit fee.
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01Guide sectionShould I complain before changing?
You can raise the issue with your provider first if you think it may be resolved.
Be specific about:
what has happened
when it happened
how often it has occurred
how it has affected your care
what you want the provider to change.
For example, you might request:
a different worker
more consistent visit times
a new care partner
an explanation of charges
a review of your service agreement
changes to your care plan.
Making a complaint should not affect your services. However, you do not have to remain with a provider while a complaint is investigated if you have decided that the relationship is no longer suitable.
02Guide sectionFind a new provider before ending your current services
Where possible, choose your new provider before agreeing on an end date with your existing provider.
Confirm that the new provider:
operates in your area
can provide all essential services
has suitable workers available
accepts your funding arrangements
can start on the required date
has explained its prices and minimum visit times
can provide any short-term pathway, equipment or home-modification support you are currently using.
This is especially important where an interruption could affect personal care, medication, meals, nursing or other essential support.
Local Home Help’s My Home Care Style tool can help you identify whether you are better suited to fully managed, partly managed or self-managed care. You can then use Liz to shortlist providers that better match your services, location and preferred way of managing care.
03Guide sectionCheck your current service agreement
Your agreement may include a notice period or other arrangements for ending services.
Check:
how much notice you are expected to provide
how cancellations during the notice period are handled
whether any services have been paid for in advance
what happens to equipment, subscriptions or subcontracted services
how your records will be transferred.
Although a notice period may apply, the provider cannot charge a separate exit amount simply because you are leaving.
04Guide sectionAgree on the changeover dates
Tell your current provider that you are changing and agree on a final service date.
Your new provider’s service agreement must begin on or after the agreed exit date from your current provider. Where practical, arrange for the old provider’s final day and the new provider’s commencement day to be the same so there is no gap in care.
Ask both providers to confirm the dates in writing.
05Guide sectionWhat must the outgoing provider do?
Your current provider must continue delivering agreed services until the exit date.
It must also:
stop claiming for services after the agreed date
finalise outstanding claims
issue any final contribution invoices
provide a final monthly statement
share remaining budget information with the new provider
provide requested care records within the required timeframe
assist with continuity of equipment or home-modification arrangements.
The outgoing provider must provide remaining budget information within 28 days. If the new provider requests care records, the outgoing provider must generally supply them within 28 days of that request.
06Guide sectionWhat happens to my funding?
Your ongoing Support at Home funding moves with you to the new provider.
This includes available unspent funding for ongoing services. People who transitioned from a Home Care Package may also have eligible unspent package funds that need to be dealt with during the transfer.
Changing provider does not mean you lose your approved classification or need to undergo another assessment simply because you are moving.
A reassessment may still be needed if your care needs have changed or you require services that are not currently approved.
07Guide sectionWhat must the new provider do?
The new provider must:
accept your referral
confirm the exit date with your former provider
enter into a new service agreement with you
develop a new care plan and individualised budget
connect you to the correct service branch
arrange the agreed services.
Before signing, request a written price list and sample quarterly budget. Make sure any promises about workers, schedules or service availability are included in writing.
08Guide sectionWhat if I need help changing?
My Aged Care can assist on 1800 200 422.
The Older Persons Advocacy Network can also provide free and independent support on 1800 700 600, including help communicating with providers and understanding your rights.
09Guide sectionWhat if the care was unsafe or seriously inadequate?
Changing provider does not prevent you from making a complaint.
You can complain to the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission about a provider, worker or responsible person. Complaints may be made confidentially or anonymously.
The Commission can be contacted on 1800 951 822.
For an immediate medical or safety emergency, call 000 rather than waiting for the provider-transfer or complaint process.
The practical rule is:
Find a suitable replacement first, confirm that essential services can continue, check your notice arrangements and agree on the changeover dates in writing. Your funding moves with you, and your old provider cannot charge an exit fee.
10Guide sectionWhat should I do next?
Compare at least two alternatives, confirm their availability and prices in writing, then ask both providers to coordinate a safe handover so essential services are not interrupted.
11Guide sectionHelpful Local Home Help resources
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