If you help care for an older parent, the funding rules can feel like their own language. Support at Home replaced Home Care Packages, there is a separate pot for equipment, and someone has to actually go and order the thing. It is a lot when you are already stretched.
Here is the plain version. This guide explains which mobility aids Support at Home pays for, which funding tier they sit in, and how the order actually gets placed, so you know exactly what your parent can get and who does what. If your parent is on the NDIS rather than aged care, read our guide to what NDIS funding covers for mobility aids instead.
How equipment funding works under Support at Home
Since 1 November 2025, Support at Home replaced Home Care Packages. Everyday services come from one budget, but equipment and home changes come from a separate scheme called Assistive Technology and Home Modifications, or AT-HM. Mobility aids like rollators, shower chairs, grab rails and raised toilet seats are funded through AT-HM, not from the ongoing services budget.
Your parent's aged care assessment decides which AT-HM tier they get. The AT-HM page from the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing sets out three: low is under $500, medium is up to $2,000, and high is up to $15,000. Most everyday mobility aids fit inside the low tier.
One thing to plan for: most AT-HM items need a contribution from your parent, so they usually pay part of the cost. Any prescription a health professional writes for the item is fully funded.
Under AT-HM, the provider is responsible for arranging and sourcing the item, and it can buy it from an assistive technology supplier. The supplier does not need to be a registered aged care provider, so a care manager can order from an Australian retailer like us and have it delivered to the client's home.
What fits in the low tier (under $500)
This is where nearly all common mobility aids sit. At SteadWell, all of these are under $500:
- Four-wheel rollators with a seat, and walker frames: $175 to $430
- Shower chairs and shower stools: $69 to $159
- Raised toilet seats and over-toilet or toilet safety frames: $80 to $288
- Bedside and wide commodes: $339 to $479
- Grab rails, bath boards and non-slip mats: around $47 to $199
- Walking sticks and canes: $65 to $75
- Daily living aids such as reachers and dressing aids: $25 to $139
The one item in our range over the line is the 3-in-1 shower commode at $550, which is above the low tier.
You can browse these by need in our walkers and rollators, bathroom safety and daily living ranges.
What needs the larger tiers
The medium and high tiers are for higher-cost or more complex needs, such as powered equipment or custom seating. Home modifications, like a permanent ramp, must be prescribed by an occupational therapist. Everyday aids like the ones above do not usually need a separate prescription, although the aged care assessment still decides which tier your parent gets.
How the order actually happens
In practice, the care manager or provider chooses the item and places the order. With us, the provider's team can order on our website and pay at checkout, with the client's address as the delivery address. We can supply an itemised tax invoice showing our ABN and GST, and the carrier's tracking shows the delivery date, which helps with the record keeping providers need for every AT-HM item. If something is not right, we organise the return, so the client never has to lift a box.
Answer three questions and get one clear recommendation for their situation.
Common questions
Does Support at Home pay for mobility aids?
Yes. Mobility aids are funded through the Assistive Technology and Home Modifications (AT-HM) scheme, which is separate from the ongoing services budget. Most everyday aids fall in the low tier, which is under $500, and most items need a contribution from the person.
What are the AT-HM funding tiers?
Three tiers, set at the aged care assessment: low is under $500, medium is up to $2,000, and high is up to $15,000. Everyday mobility aids like rollators, shower chairs and grab rails usually sit in the low tier.
Does the supplier have to be a registered aged care provider?
No. Under AT-HM the participant's registered provider sources the item, but the retailer it is bought from does not need to be a registered aged care provider.
Do I need an OT assessment for a shower chair or rollator under Support at Home?
Usually not a separate one. The aged care assessment sets which AT-HM tier the person gets. After that, everyday aids like a shower chair or rollator do not usually need a prescription. Higher-cost or complex equipment may, and home modifications always do.
How much do these aids cost?
At SteadWell, shower chairs and stools are $69 to $159, rollators and walkers $175 to $430, and raised toilet seats and toilet frames $80 to $288, all under the $500 low tier. The one exception in our range is the $550 3-in-1 shower commode.
Bianca worked in disability services before becoming a mother. She now runs SteadWell, an Australian store for mobility and daily living aids, and personally selects every product in the range against SteadWell's checklist, so families can choose with confidence rather than guesswork.
