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What services are available through the Commonwealth Home Support Programme?

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Commonwealth Home Support Programme

Navigating CHSP

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In short...

The Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP) provides entry-level support services to help older people remain independent and continue living safely at home. Services may include cleaning, meals, personal care, transport, allied health, nursing, social support, respite, equipment and home modifications.

The details...

What services are available through the Commonwealth Home Support Programme?

CHSP is designed for older people who need help with one or a few everyday tasks but can still largely manage independently.

The program offers a broad range of subsidised services that can be tailored to your individual needs and goals. Depending on your assessment and local provider availability, you may be approved for one or several services.

Domestic assistance

Help with everyday household tasks such as:

  • cleaning

  • laundry

  • changing bed linen

  • shopping assistance

  • light household duties.

Personal care

Support with activities such as:

  • showering and bathing

  • dressing and grooming

  • mobility assistance

  • toileting support

  • communication assistance.

Meals and nutrition support

Services may include:

  • delivered meals

  • meal preparation support

  • assistance with shopping and food preparation

  • support to maintain good nutrition and hydration.

Transport services

Help to attend:

  • medical appointments

  • shopping trips

  • social activities

  • community programs.

Nursing services

Clinical services may include:

  • wound care

  • medication support

  • chronic disease management

  • continence support

  • health monitoring and clinical interventions.

Allied health and therapy services

CHSP may provide access to:

  • physiotherapy

  • occupational therapy

  • podiatry

  • speech pathology

  • dietetics and nutrition support

  • other therapies aimed at maintaining independence.

Social support services

These services help reduce social isolation and maintain community connections.

Examples include:

  • accompanied activities

  • group outings

  • community programs

  • visitor programs

  • support to remain engaged in hobbies and interests.

Respite services

Respite provides temporary support so that unpaid carers can take a break.

Services may include:

  • centre-based respite

  • community respite

  • cottage respite

  • flexible respite arrangements.

Home maintenance and repairs

Help to keep your home safe and liveable, such as:

  • gardening

  • changing light bulbs

  • minor maintenance tasks

  • small repairs.

Equipment and products

CHSP may assist with items such as:

  • walkers

  • shower chairs

  • raised toilet seats

  • mobility aids

  • safety equipment.

Home adjustments

Eligible modifications may include:

  • grab rails

  • handrails

  • ramps

  • bathroom safety modifications

  • other adjustments to improve safety and accessibility.

Do I receive every service?

No.

Your aged care assessment will determine:

  • which services you are eligible for

  • how many services you need

  • whether CHSP is the most appropriate program.

If your needs are more complex or require ongoing coordination across multiple services, Support at Home may be more suitable.

What should I do next?

Think about which everyday activities are becoming difficult.

Ask yourself:

  • Do I need help around the home?

  • Am I struggling with meals or shopping?

  • Do I need help with personal care?

  • Am I becoming socially isolated?

  • Has a family member become overwhelmed providing support?

Write down the tasks that have become difficult and discuss these during your aged care assessment.

If you are unsure what support may help, complete the Local Home Help Navigator or speak with My Aged Care.

Helpful Local Home Help resources

Check the official guidance

The services available to you depend on your aged care assessment, local provider availability and your individual goals and circumstances.

Official guidance:

My Aged Care provides a full list of CHSP services and explains that people may use one or multiple providers depending on the support they require.

Takeaways

  • CHSP provides entry-level support to help older people remain living independently at home.

  • Services may include cleaning, meals, transport, personal care, nursing and allied health.

  • Equipment, home modifications, social support and respite services may also be available.

  • You will only receive services that are approved through your assessment.

  • People with more complex needs may be better suited to Support at Home.

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:

  • My Aged Care

  • Department of Health, Disability and Ageing

  • Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission

  • 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

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