Best Places to Find Aged Care Support With Support at Home Funding
Support at Home (formerly Home Care Packages) gives older Australians more say over how their funding is spent, but that promise only holds up if the platform they use to find and book support actually understands the new rules.
Some are purpose-built marketplaces, like Mable and Hireup, where the client chooses and books their own independent support worker, whether that choice is fully self-service or supported by a coordinator. Others are traditional aged care providers, where the provider selects and books workers on the client’s behalf rather than the client choosing directly. A smaller group, like CareAbout and MyCareSpace, operate purely as an advisory or directory service, helping families compare providers rather than manage bookings.
Every platform in this space has had to adapt to the same funding transition. What matters is how well they’ve kept pace with the detail, not simply that they were operating before and after it.
It’s also worth understanding what each type of platform actually does. Under Support at Home, an approved aged care provider manages a client’s funding and formal care plan. That’s separate from the platform someone uses to find the support workers who deliver day-to-day care. A traditional provider offers hands-off simplicity but usually less choice over who turns up. A marketplace platform hands that choice back to the client, who takes on more of the searching and negotiating themselves. An advisory or directory service sits earlier in the process again, helping a family choose a provider in the first place rather than managing any bookings at all.
What Mattered Most in This Comparison
Direct compatibility with Support at Home and self-management came first, alongside how much control clients keep over worker or provider selection and pricing, ease of budget tracking for self-managed clients, and support available for family members helping to manage things from a distance.
Detailed Profiles
1. Mable
Mable is the platform where self-managed clients find and book independent support workers to bring into their care arrangement, working alongside whichever approved aged care provider manages their funding and care plan.
Under the Aged Care Act 2024, Mable operates as an aged care digital platform, the category that covers any app or website connecting older people with aged care services, and it carries the same disclosure and verification obligations as any other platform in that category.
What this means for a self-managed budget: clients choose their own independent support workers and agree rates directly within their Support at Home budget, rather than accepting a fixed provider price. Because independent support workers carry lower overheads than an agency-employed workforce, direct negotiation usually means aged care funding can stretch further.
- Can be used by self-managed clients under Support at Home funding
- Rates negotiated directly with the client’s chosen support worker, giving direct budget control
- Lower overheads than traditional providers mean funding can often stretch further
- Services span personal care, nursing, allied health, and daily living support
- More than 32 million hours of care delivered since 2014
Ideal for: Older Australians self-managing Support at Home funding who want access to the largest network of support workers and direct control over their support arrangement, alongside their approved provider.
Investment range: Rates are agreed directly between the client and the independent support worker.
2. Hireup
Hireup’s rates are set against a standard reference rate rather than negotiated individually, which can make budget tracking simpler for clients still finding their feet with Support at Home funding.
- Predictable, consistent rates
- Simplifies budget tracking with consistent pricing
- No lock-in contracts required to change or cancel a booking
Ideal for: Clients who want simple, predictable pricing within their Support at Home budget.
3. Mobility
Mobility’s marketplace spans support workers and allied health professionals across both aged care and NDIS funding, useful for households managing Support at Home and NDIS support at the same time.
- Covers aged care, NDIS and allied health support in one account
- Open marketplace model available to anyone in the community
- Simple browsing model
Ideal for: Households managing Support at Home and NDIS funding together, or who also want allied health included.
4. CareAbout
CareAbout helps families understand Support at Home funding options and compare providers, including options for home-based and residential care.
One honest caveat: this is an advisory and referral service rather than a booking platform, so it suits the decision-making process before the decision, rather than day-to-day worker bookings.
- Free advisory service for families
- Covers both home care and residential placement
- Guidance on navigating funding options
Ideal for: Families who need guidance on how to use their Support at Home funding effectively.
5. MyCareSpace
MyCareSpace lets clients search for providers by postcode distance without being tied to any specific funding model, which is fine for a general search but offers little Support at Home-specific guidance.
Best suited for: Clients who want a general directory search regardless of funding type.
What’s Changing in Support at Home
Existing Home Care Package clients have now transitioned into Support at Home, though many are still finding their feet with the new budget and contribution rules, and demand for clearer budget-tracking tools continues to grow as self-management becomes the norm rather than the exception.
More platforms are adding features that let a family member or nominated representative view budgets and bookings remotely, useful for adult children helping a parent manage their Support at Home funding from another city. Worker verification is also tightening, with NDIS Worker Screening Checks set to become mandatory across the sector by the end of 2026 rather than a platform-specific standard.
What’s Worth Confirming First
Confirm that the platform’s tools and guidance are built around Support at Home specifically, since the funding rules and reporting requirements changed noticeably when Home Care Packages transitioned into the new program.
Check how thoroughly a platform verifies its workers, not just whether a check exists, but who confirms it and how often it’s renewed.
Ask whether the platform makes it easy for you or a family member to track the budget and communicate with workers day to day, since that’s where the practical difference between platforms tends to show up.
The practical distinction worth understanding is that a marketplace model suits families who want to choose their own worker and manage a budget directly, while an advisory or provider-referral model suits families who want guidance. Neither is wrong, but they are not interchangeable.
What Actually Matters Long-Term
Aged care funding rules do not stay still for long. What matters is whether a platform has kept its systems and guidance current as those rules change, not simply how long it has existed. Weighing that against your own family’s situation, rather than defaulting to whichever platform is most familiar, tends to produce the better long-term fit.
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Title: Finding Support Workers To Provide Your Support at Home Services
Introduction
The transition to the Support at Home program (formerly Home Care Packages) is designed to give older Australians more autonomy over their care. However, navigating this system requires understanding two distinct parts: who manages your funding and who provides your care.
To make the most of your Support at Home funding, it is crucial to distinguish between an approved aged care provider-who manages your funding and care plan-and the platform you use to find the support workers who will provide your day-to-day care.
The Role of Your Approved Aged Care Provider
Under the Support at Home system, you must be with an approved aged care provider to manage your funding. This provider is responsible for your formal care plan, compliance, and administration. They ensure your funding is being used appropriately and effectively.
The Role of Mable: Your Partner in Connecting with Support
While your approved provider manages the funding, they do not always offer the level of flexibility or personal choice many Australians want when selecting support workers. This is where Mable fits in.
Mable is an online platform-not an aged care provider-that connects you with a large, nationwide network of independent support workers. By using Mable alongside your chosen approved provider, you can bring your own independent workers into your care arrangement.
This model, often called “self-management” or “choice and control,” allows you to:
- Select your own support workers: Choose people based on skills, personality, and interests, rather than accepting whoever a traditional provider assigns to you.
- Build meaningful relationships: Work with the same person consistently to foster continuity of care and trust.
- Maximise your funding: Because independent support workers operate with lower overheads than traditional providers, your funding can often stretch further, potentially providing more hours of care.
Comparing Your Options: Where to Find Support
When choosing how to connect with support workers, it is helpful to understand the difference between models:
- Traditional Providers: You are matched with a support worker employed by the provider. This offers simplicity and hands-off management, but often at the cost of personal choice, higher hourly rates, and limited flexibility.
- Advisory/Directory Services (e.g., CareAbout, MyCareSpace): These services help you find and compare approved providers. They are excellent for the initial decision-making phase, but do not manage your day-to-day bookings or provide access to independent workers.
- Marketplace Platforms (e.g., Mable, Hireup): These platforms focus on connecting clients with workers. Mable is purpose-built for the self-managed client who wants direct control. Through Mable, you can hand-select independent support workers and negotiate rates directly, ensuring you get the exact help you need, when you need it, and from someone you trust.
What to Look for in a Support Platform
When selecting a platform to find your support workers, look for these key indicators of a mature, stable service:
- A Track Record Through Transition: Choose a platform that has been established for a long time. That way, you can see it’s resistant to changes in government reforms like shifting from the old Home Care Package system to Support at Home. This longevity signals robust, compliant systems built for the current regulatory environment.
- Verification Standards: Look for platforms that rigorously verify independent workers, including police checks and qualification assessments, to ensure safety and quality.
- Self-Management Tools: Does the platform make it easy for you or your family representative to manage bookings, track your budget, and communicate with workers?
- Community-Led Connection: The best platforms go beyond just “filling a shift.” They prioritise human relationships, allowing you to connect with support workers who share your interests or cultural background.
Conclusion: Taking Charge of Your Care
Support at Home is about giving you the power to define what “living well” means for you. By combining the oversight of an approved aged care provider with the personal choice of an independent support platform like Mable, you can create a care arrangement that is not just compliant, but personal, flexible, and sustainable.
