Can I get urgent CHSP services before my aged care assessment?
Yes, in limited circumstances. If waiting for an assessment would create a significant risk of harm, My Aged Care, an assessment organisation or an Aged Care Specialist Officer may refer you directly to a CHSP provider for urgent services. You must still complete an aged care assessment afterward.
Key points
Urgent CHSP services can sometimes begin before the aged care assessment.
There must generally be an immediate health or safety risk or significant risk of harm.
My Aged Care, an assessment organisation or an Aged Care Specialist Officer must initiate the urgent referral.
The person must still complete an aged care assessment.
A new referral is required if services are approved to continue.
Urgent CHSP services do not replace emergency, hospital or post-acute healthcare.
Yes. You may be able to receive urgent Commonwealth Home Support Program services before completing your aged care assessment, but this pathway is reserved for situations where support is needed immediately.
An urgent referral may be considered when:
there is an immediate risk to your health or safety
you may experience significant harm if services do not begin before approval
the required support is not reasonably available through family, health services or another program
an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person cannot promptly access an assessor able to provide a culturally safe assessment
services have already commenced but there is a significant delay before an assessor becomes available.
Urgent referrals can only be initiated by:
the My Aged Care contact centre
an aged care assessment organisation
an Aged Care Specialist Officer.
You generally cannot arrange government-funded urgent CHSP services simply by contacting a provider directly. The authorised organisation must issue the referral.
Services that may be provided urgently include:
nursing for wound care
meals
personal care
transport to an important medical appointment
flexible respite or temporary support where a regular carer is suddenly unavailable.
Whether your circumstances qualify is decided case by case. The referring organisation must consider whether delaying the service would place you at significant risk.
Urgent CHSP support does not replace hospital, rehabilitation or post-acute healthcare. Medical emergencies should be handled through the health system, and you should call 000 where there is an immediate threat to life or safety.
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01Guide sectionWhat happens after urgent services begin?
Urgent services may start as soon as a CHSP provider has capacity to deliver them. However, the urgent referral does not remove the requirement for an aged care assessment.
You must still:
complete an aged care needs assessment
receive a formal decision about your eligibility
obtain new referrals for any CHSP services approved on an ongoing basis.
The provider may continue delivering the urgent service while the assessment is being completed. Once ongoing services are approved, the urgent referral ends and is replaced by the appropriate ongoing referral.
If the urgent service is not ultimately approved, it may need to stop.
02Guide sectionWhat should I do next?
Call My Aged Care on 1800 200 422 and clearly explain:
what has happened
which essential tasks cannot currently be completed
why waiting for the normal assessment process may create harm
whether the person is without meals, personal care, wound care, transport or essential carer support
whether family, health services or other supports are available.
Use direct language such as:
“There is an immediate health or safety risk if support does not begin before the assessment. Can you assess whether an urgent CHSP referral is appropriate?”
For a medical emergency or immediate threat to safety, call 000 rather than waiting for aged care services.
03Guide sectionHelpful Local Home Help resources
04Guide sectionCheck the official guidance
Urgent access is assessed individually and does not guarantee that a provider will have immediate availability. Confirm your circumstances with My Aged Care and refer to the current Australian Government guidance:
The CHSP manual states that urgent services may begin before an assessment where there is a significant risk of harm, but the person must still complete an assessment and receive approval afterward.
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