How to Find and Compare Aged Care Providers on My Aged Care
By FindMyHelp Editorial Team · Reviewed against official sources on
You've had the assessment and received your approval letter. Now you need to choose who will actually provide the care. As My Aged Care puts it, "All providers deliver their services differently and charge different amounts". So comparing is worth the effort. This guide shows you how to use the government's official tools, what to look for, and the questions to ask before you sign anything.
Before you start: have your paperwork ready
You'll compare providers more easily with these documents in front of you (My Aged Care – Connecting with Support at Home providers):
- your Notice of Decision letter
- your Support Plan (it lists the services you're approved for)
- your referral code(s)
- your income and means assessment outcome, if you have one.
Watch the deadline for Support at Home
Once you get the letter saying your Support at Home funding is available, you have 56 calendar days from the date on the letter to find a provider and sign a service agreement. If you need more time, you can ask My Aged Care for another 28 days (My Aged Care).
Step 1: Search with the Find a provider tool
Find a provider is the government's directory of aged care providers. Here's how to use it (My Aged Care – Find a provider):
- Choose Start searching for a provider.
- Answer a few short questions about your situation to get personalised results, or skip them if you're just exploring.
- Use the search bar and filters to narrow results. For example, you can filter by care program, services, or Star Rating for aged care homes.
- Sort results by best match, alphabetical order and more.
Tip: The more filters you apply, the fewer results you'll see. Some filters may be pre-selected based on what you've told My Aged Care before, such as services you're approved for. You can remove them.
Step 2: Build a shortlist
From the search results, you can add up to 16 providers to your shortlist (My Aged Care).
- Your shortlist is saved in My Guide. Open it from the top-right menu and choose "My shortlist".
- You can email your shortlist to yourself or someone else. This is handy if siblings are sharing the decision.
Step 3: Compare up to 3 providers side by side
Once you have more than one provider shortlisted, you can compare up to 3 at a time (My Aged Care). My Aged Care suggests considering:
- location
- services offered
- costs
- quality of care
- availability.
What to look at on a provider's profile
Services and availability
Check that the provider offers every service you've been approved for. This matters a lot for Support at Home, because you must get all your Support at Home services from a single provider (My Aged Care).
The CHSP works differently. You can use different providers for different services (My Aged Care – Connecting with CHSP providers). See our CHSP Explained guide.
Costs
Support at Home providers must publish pricing information for their services. They must also agree with you on the prices you'll be charged, why any prices change, and when changes start (My Aged Care). When comparing, think about:
- your contribution payments
- what's included in each service
- whether the provider delivers the service itself or subcontracts another company.
For how contributions work, see our Support at Home Fees and Contributions guide.
Specialised care
All providers must deliver inclusive care. Some are verified to offer specialised care for particular health conditions, backgrounds, communities and cultures. Some also report support for particular languages or faiths. You can include these in your search filters (My Aged Care).
Compliance
Every provider on My Aged Care is regulated by the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission and must meet the Aged Care Quality Standards (My Aged Care). If a provider doesn't meet the standards, it may receive a non-compliance decision. You can see current and past performance in the Compliance section of a provider's profile.
Finance and organisation
A provider's profile also has a "Finance and organisation" section that summarises how the provider earns, spends and manages money (My Aged Care).
Comparing aged care homes: understanding Star Ratings
For aged care homes, the government publishes Star Ratings from 1 to 5 stars. More stars means higher-quality care. The overall rating is built from four parts (My Aged Care – Star Ratings):
| Sub-category | What it measures | Share of overall rating |
|---|---|---|
| Residents' Experience | Independent surveys of residents on safety, treatment by staff, food, independence and belonging | 33% |
| Compliance | Regulatory decisions, and performance against the strengthened Quality Standards | 30% |
| Staffing | Whether the home meets its care-minute targets, including registered nurse time | 22% |
| Quality Measures | Pressure injuries, restrictive practices, unplanned weight loss, falls and major injury, and medication management | 15% |
How homes compare: When we checked on 26 October 2026, My Aged Care showed this national spread of Overall Star Ratings: Excellent 6%, Good 69%, Acceptable 25%, Improvement needed 0% and Significant improvement needed 0% (My Aged Care). Percentages are rounded, so a 0% band can still include a small number of homes. The figures change each quarter. The latest service-level data is the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing's Star Ratings quarterly data extract (October 2026, published 13 October 2026).
No rating showing? A home might be new, under new ownership, recently reopened, or have a temporary exemption. Some homes have no rating because they didn't report data or chose not to take part in the Residents' Experience Survey. Those homes haven't been granted an exemption, so ask them why.
Step 4: Contact your shortlisted providers
Talking to providers costs nothing, and you don't have to commit. You can decide not to go with a provider for any reason (My Aged Care).
Bring someone with you. A family member, friend or carer can help you take in the information. You always have the right to support, including from an advocate.
Questions worth asking
- Can you provide all the services in my support plan? When could you start?
- What are your prices for each service, and is anything subcontracted?
- How will you include my family or carer in my care plan?
- Who would my regular workers be, and what happens if they're away?
- Do you offer care that suits my language, culture, faith or health needs?
- How do I raise a concern, and how quickly do you respond?
Step 5: Choose and sign
When you've decided:
- Give the provider your referral code. This lets them see your assessment and support plan.
- Work with them on a care plan that sets out your needs, goals and preferences.
- Sign a service agreement, the legal document that sets out the services, who provides them and what they cost. Services can't start until you agree to it (My Aged Care).
If something isn't right later
First talk to your provider. For free, confidential, independent help, call OPAN's Aged Care Advocacy Line on 1800 700 600 (8am to 8pm weekdays, 10am to 4pm Saturdays). If your concern isn't resolved, you can make a complaint to the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission. It can be confidential or anonymous (My Aged Care).
Frequently asked questions
How do I find aged care providers near me?
Use My Aged Care's Find a provider tool, ask your assessor to refer you to a local provider, or call My Aged Care on 1800 200 422 (My Aged Care).
How many providers can I compare?
You can shortlist up to 16 providers and compare up to 3 side by side.
How long do I have to choose a Support at Home provider?
56 calendar days from the date on your funding letter. You can ask for another 28 days.
Can I use more than one Support at Home provider?
No. All your Support at Home services must come from a single provider. Under the CHSP, you can use different providers for different services.
What do aged care Star Ratings mean?
They rate aged care homes from 1 to 5 stars across residents' experience, compliance, staffing and quality measures. More stars means higher-quality care.
Do I have to sign with the first provider I talk to?
No. You can talk to as many providers as you like and choose not to go ahead for any reason.
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This guide is general information, not legal or financial advice. Always check My Aged Care for your situation.