What Equipment and Home Modifications Are Funded Under Support at Home in 2026?

Support at Home—which replaced Home Care Packages and Short-term Restorative Care from 1 November 2025—provides funding for assistive technology and home modifications through the dedicated Assistive Technology and Home Modifications (AT-HM) scheme. Older Australians approved through a My Aged Care assessment can access items like shower chairs, grab rails, walking frames, ramps and other supports listed on the official AT-HM List. Funding is allocated as an AT-HM tier (low/medium/high) with caps and timeframes set out by My Aged Care.

How Support at Home Differs from the Old Home Care Package System

Under the former Home Care Package model, equipment and modifications typically had to be paid for within your package budget (alongside other services). Under Support at Home, the AT-HM scheme funding is upfront and separate from your other Support at Home services, meaning you generally don’t need to “save up” your ongoing budget to get approved equipment or modifications.

You’ll also be allocated one of 8 ongoing classifications for services (plus short-term pathways), and participant contributions can apply depending on your income and assets assessment.

(Removed: region-by-region assessment wait times and delivery timeframes — not reliably verifiable from authoritative sources.)

What Assistive Technology Is Commonly Funded

The AT-HM scheme focuses on equipment and home changes that support safety, mobility and independence, as set out on the AT-HM scheme page and the definitive AT-HM List.

Bathroom supports and bathing devices—such as shower chairs, bath boards and grab rails—are included in the scheme, and falls in the home (including bathrooms) are a major issue for older Australians. For example, AIHW reporting on hospitalised falls shows bathrooms are a common specified location for falls at home among people aged 65+. See AIHW’s “Where did falls occur?”.

Mobility aids such as walking frames and walking sticks are included, and the AT-HM List also includes wheeled walking aids (including rollators) and wheelchairs where clinically appropriate. (See the AT-HM scheme overview and the definitive AT-HM List.)

Toileting supports (for example commodes and bedpans) are also explicitly included under the scheme. See AT-HM scheme inclusions.

Home Modifications: Scope and Funding Tiers

Home modifications funded under the AT-HM scheme include items such as lever tap sets/lever door handles, grab rails, internal and external handrails, ramps, stair lifts, and non-slip materials and mats (as listed by My Aged Care).

Rather than per-item “price rules”, approvals are tied to your AT-HM funding tier and assessed need. My Aged Care outlines the current caps and access periods for assistive technology and home modifications (low/medium/high tiers) on the AT-HM scheme page and in the Support at Home costs and contributions details (including circumstances where higher assistive technology amounts may be approved with evidence).

Practical Scenarios: What Gets Funded and What Doesn't

Scenario 1: Shower Safety After a Fall
A 78-year-old woman in Bentleigh East falls getting out of the bath. Her GP refers her to My Aged Care; after assessment, she’s approved for the AT-HM scheme. An occupational therapist supports provision of a shower chair and grab rails (items included under the AT-HM scheme and the definitive AT-HM List). Any contribution she pays depends on her assessed circumstances under the Support at Home contributions rules.

Scenario 2: Mobility Decline and Outdoor Access
An 82-year-old man in Footscray uses a walking frame indoors but cannot manage steps at the front entry. His plan includes an AT-HM funded ramp and handrails (examples of eligible home modifications listed by My Aged Care), subject to assessment and what’s approved in his support plan.

Scenario 3: What Isn’t Covered
If an item or modification is not on the definitive AT-HM List—including anything listed under Exclusions—it isn’t available through the AT-HM scheme.

How Auswaycare Supports Assessment and AT-HM Approvals

Auswaycare supplies walking aids, bathroom safety equipment and daily living aids that may align with items approved under the AT-HM scheme (noting that AT-HM funding can only be used for items on the official AT-HM List).