What happens if my needs become too complex for CHSP?
Commonwealth Home Support Programme
Navigating CHSP
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In short...
If CHSP no longer provides enough support for your needs, you can request a review or reassessment through My Aged Care. You may be approved for Support at Home, which is designed for people who need more coordinated, intensive or complex care.
The details...
What happens if my needs become too complex for CHSP?
The Commonwealth Home Support Program is mainly designed for people who need entry-level help with individual tasks, such as cleaning, meals, transport, personal care or social support.
If your health, mobility, safety or ability to manage daily activities changes, CHSP may no longer provide enough support. This does not mean your services will automatically stop. Your needs should be reviewed so that the right level and combination of support can be considered.
Signs that your needs may have become too complex for CHSP include:
needing help with several daily activities rather than one or two individual tasks
needing more frequent personal care or supervision
requiring regular nursing or allied health support
experiencing repeated falls, hospital admissions or significant health changes
developing dementia-related support needs
relying heavily on an unpaid family carer who is becoming exhausted
needing services to be coordinated through one care plan
no longer being able to remain safely at home with your current support.
Your CHSP provider should regularly review whether the services you receive are still helping you meet your goals. If your needs have changed significantly, the provider should discuss a Support Plan Review or reassessment with you and refer you back to the appropriate aged care assessment organisation.
Could I move from CHSP to Support at Home?
Yes. Support at Home is intended for people who need a more coordinated approach because they require help with multiple everyday tasks or have more complex or intensive care needs. It can fund services such as personal care, nursing, allied health, domestic assistance, transport, respite and meal support.
An aged care reassessment will consider:
what has changed since your previous assessment
the tasks you can no longer manage safely
your health and clinical needs
your living arrangements
the support available from family or carers
whether short-term or ongoing Support at Home services are appropriate.
If approved for ongoing Support at Home, you will receive a classification and an individual budget based on your assessed needs. You may also be approved for a short-term pathway, such as restorative care, assistive technology and home modifications, or end-of-life support.
Will my CHSP services continue while I wait?
They may continue while your reassessment and new arrangements are being organised, subject to your existing referral and the provider’s capacity.
Do not cancel useful CHSP services simply because you have requested a reassessment. Ask your provider and My Aged Care what support can remain in place during the transition.
In limited circumstances, a person approved for Support at Home may continue receiving particular CHSP services, but the same or similar government-subsidised service should not normally be duplicated across both programs.
What if my needs have become urgent?
Tell your provider and My Aged Care clearly if there is an immediate risk, such as:
being unable to shower, dress or prepare food
falls or rapidly declining mobility
an unpaid carer being unable to continue
unsafe medication management
serious concerns about living alone
a recent hospital discharge without adequate support.
My Aged Care can consider the urgency of your circumstances and arrange an assessment. Applications for an aged care assessment can be made online, by telephone or through an Aged Care Specialist Officer.
For a medical emergency or immediate threat to life or safety, call 000.
What should I do next?
Speak with your current CHSP provider and ask for a review of your support needs. Explain what has changed and which daily activities have become difficult or unsafe.
You can also call My Aged Care on 1800 200 422 and request a Support Plan Review or reassessment.
Before contacting them, write down:
recent falls, hospital visits or diagnoses
changes in mobility, memory or personal care needs
tasks you can no longer complete safely
the amount of help being provided by family or friends
any signs that an unpaid carer is no longer coping
services that are currently unavailable or insufficient.
Be specific about what is happening in practice. Saying “things are getting harder” is less useful than explaining that you can no longer shower safely, prepare meals or manage medication without help.
Helpful Local Home Help resources
What happens if my care needs change after my initial assessment?
Can I receive CHSP and Support at Home services at the same time?
Check the official guidance
Individual outcomes depend on your assessment, circumstances and service availability. Confirm any transition arrangements with My Aged Care and your current provider.
Takeaways
CHSP is primarily intended for entry-level support.
Changing or more complex needs should trigger a review or reassessment.
Support at Home may be more appropriate when care needs become coordinated, intensive or complex.
Existing CHSP services may continue while new arrangements are considered.
Clearly explain any safety risks or rapid changes when contacting My Aged Care.
Call 000 for an immediate medical or safety emergency.
About Local Home Help
How Providers Are Listed
How providers appear on Local Home Help Local Home Help helps families discover home support services available in their area. Providers may appear on the site in a few different ways. Some providers create and manage their own listing on the platform. Others may appear based on publicly available information about services operating in a particular region. This helps families see a broader view of support options available locally. Where possible, we encourage providers to claim and manage their listing so information such as services offered, contact details and service areas remain accurate and up to date. There are no paid or enhanced listings on Local Home Help, and there never will be. Claiming or managing a listing has no effect on a provider's visibility, ranking, or how often it appears in a consumer's personalised shortlist, it simply keeps the information families see accurate and current. Local Home Help does not charge consumers to access the platform. We may generate revenue in other ways in the future, but none of these will ever influence which providers a consumer sees, how they're ranked, or what appears in their shortlist. Provider visibility is, and will remain, based solely on relevance to each family's stated needs. What does not influence Liz There are no paid or enhanced listings on Local Home Help, not now, and not in the future. No provider can pay for a higher position in Liz results, a better ranking, or inclusion in a consumer's shortlist. This is a permanent commitment, not a current-state description. Claiming or updating a profile does not improve a provider's ranking. It gives Liz more accurate information about the provider's services, coverage and care model, which can make the explanation of why a provider matched clearer, but it has no effect on whether or how highly that provider appears. Local Home Help intends to generate revenue in other ways in the future - for example through tools built for providers, or products separate from the consumer matching experience. None of these will influence which providers appear in Liz's results, how they're ranked, or what a consumer sees in their personalised shortlist. Visibility and ranking are based solely on the fit factors described above, and nothing else. This reflects the platform's core ethos: Local Home Help is built consumer-first. Every design and revenue decision is made so that what a family sees from Liz is the most relevant outcome for them. Never the most profitable outcome for Local Home Help or a provider.
Independence Statement
Our independence Local Home Help is designed to help families navigate the often confusing world of home support and aged care services. The platform aims to present information in a clear and balanced way so families can better understand the types of help available and where to find it. While providers may appear on the platform, Local Home Help does not recommend one provider over another. The decision about which service may be suitable will always depend on individual circumstances. Families are encouraged to contact providers directly, ask questions and make their own enquiries before making a decision. Our focus is to make the process of understanding and finding support at home easier. Local Home Help does not accept payment of any kind in exchange for provider visibility, ranking, or shortlist placement, and never will. Any future revenue Local Home Help generates will come from sources entirely separate from how providers are matched to consumers.
Quality Signals
What to look for when choosing a provider Finding the right support service can take time. When considering a provider, families may wish to look for signs of quality such as: Clear information about services offered Transparent pricing or funding options Experience supporting older people at home Relevant professional qualifications where appropriate Positive feedback or reputation in the community Willingness to answer questions about care and services It is often helpful to speak with more than one provider before making a decision. Local Home Help aims to provide a starting point for exploring services, but the best choice will depend on the needs and preferences of the individual receiving support.
About the Author
Local Home Help Editorial Team
This article was created by Local Home Help to help Australian families better understand aged care and home support options in plain English.
Our content is based on publicly available information from:
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My Aged Care
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Department of Health, Disability and Ageing
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Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission
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Provider pricing schedules and operational experience within the aged care sector.
Local Home Help is an independent consumer information platform and does not provide medical, legal or financial advice.
Important information
Aged care rules, fees, eligibility requirements and program arrangements can change. The information on this page is general guidance only and may not apply to every person or situation.
Before making a financial, legal or care decision, check the latest information with My Aged Care, Services Australia, the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, or another appropriate official source.
Local Home Help does not provide legal, financial, medical or clinical advice.
Source data
Last reviewed
20/7/26, 9:08 pm