Veterans’ Home Care
The Veterans’ Home Care (VHC) Program is designed to help veterans, war widows, and widowers to continue living at home, by providing them with practical help around the house.
The Veterans’ Home Care (VHC) Program is designed to help veterans, war widows, and widowers to continue living at home, by providing them with practical help around the house.
You or your family can call a VHC Assessment Agency on 1300 550 450 to discuss the eligibility requirements and arrange an assessment to access VHC.
When the VHC Assessment Agency conducts your telephone assessment, you can nominate Mercy Health to be your service provider as we have a contract with the Department of Veterans’ Affairs.
For more information on the VHC program, visit on the Department of Veterans’ Affairs website.
Frequently asked questions
Find the answers to frequently asked questions, with insights into service costs, different ways we can help you enjoy living independently at home, and more.
Under the Home Care Package (HCP) Program, if you were assessed as needing to pay an Income-Tested Fee (ITCF), this amount was calculated as a daily fee. You were required to pay for provider regardless of how many services you used. With the new Support at Home program, you will pay only for the services you use, and only for services in the Independence and Everyday living categories. How much you pay depends on your income and assets. Services Australia will assess this and set your contribution rate.
Your Support at Home provider will then send you an invoice showing
- the services you received
- your contribution rate
- the total amount you need to pay
No. In January 2023 the Department of Health and Aged Care terminated exit fees.
The costs associated with your care will vary depending on your needs, so there is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question. You may be eligible for government-subsidised funding for aged care services, such as a Home Care Package, or another funding option that reduces or removes any cost to you.
Our fees reflect the quality of our service. We are not the cheapest, but we are certainly not the most expensive service provider. We are committed to being transparent about our fee structures and we stand by our value for money and quality of care.
Read about our fee policy.
The Australian Government offers several programs that provide subsidies for aged care services.
These programs include:
- Home Care Package (HCP) program.
- Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP)
- Veterans’ Home Care
- Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) Community Nursing
- National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).
Some funded programs only operate in specific areas. Please contact the Mercy Health Home Care office nearest to you for more information.
We work with you to plan services that suit you and your situation. If you have government funding it will cover the cost of specified services. If you would like to purchase additional services or you don’t have funding, we will clearly explain how much the services cost, so you can make an informed decision about what you would like us to provide.