In-Home Aged Care in Ballina and Lismore: A Guide for Families
In-Home Aged Care in Ballina and Lismore
Most people, when they think about getting older, picture staying in their own home. The life they have built. The community they know. That is not just a preference, it is a goal worth supporting.
In-home aged care exists to make that possible. Here is what it looks like in Ballina and Lismore right now.
The Current Program: Support at Home
Support at Home is the government’s home care program, and it started on 1 November 2025, replacing the old Home Care Packages Program. If you have been reading about Home Care Packages, that system no longer takes new applicants. Support at Home is the pathway now.
It is built around you: your goals, your routine, your choices. Funding is managed as a quarterly budget, and you choose the provider who delivers your services.
Source: myagedcare.gov.au/support-at-home
What In-Home Care Can Cover
Personal care, help with bathing, dressing, grooming. Domestic assistance, cleaning, laundry, meals. Nursing and clinical care, wound care, medication management, health monitoring (fully government-funded from November 2025). Allied health, physio, occupational therapy, podiatry. Transport. Home modifications, grab rails, ramps, accessible bathroom features. Assistive technology. Social support and staying connected in the community. From 1 October 2026, personal care becomes fully government-funded too, so your budget stretches further.
Eight Classification Levels
Support at Home replaced the old four Home Care Package levels with eight classification levels. Your quarterly budget depends on your level, assessed in your home. Budgets range from $2,682.75 at Level 1 to $19,526.59 at Level 8. Unspent funds carry over automatically each quarter. Interim funding at 60% is available while waiting for full allocation.
Source: myagedcare.gov.au/managing-your-support-home-budget
In-Home Care in the Northern Rivers
Ballina and Lismore have their own character, coastal, rural, deeply community-oriented. Great in-home care here is not one-size-fits-all. It fits around how you actually live. Greater Support understands the Northern Rivers and works with that, not against it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What in-home aged care services are available in Ballina?
In-home aged care in Ballina includes personal care, domestic assistance, meal preparation, transport, nursing, and social support. These are funded through Support at Home via My Aged Care.
How do I know if I qualify for home-based aged care?
You need an ACAT assessment arranged through My Aged Care. Call 1800 200 422 to start the process.
Is home care support available on weekends in Ballina and Lismore?
Yes. Greater Support offers flexible scheduling including weekends. We understand that support needs do not follow a Monday to Friday timetable.
How to Access In-Home Care
Contact My Aged Care on 1800 200 422 or visit myagedcare.gov.au. Once assessed and approved, you choose your provider. Greater Support serves Ballina, Lismore, and the wider Northern Rivers region. If you want to know what care could look like for you or someone you love, get in touch. We are here for that conversation.
