Key Takeaways
- Medical transport is a high-priority Independence service; most providers will prioritise scheduling for it.
- Social and shopping transport count as Independence services, means-tested contribution applies.
- The worker's time and mileage are typically funded; specific tolls or parking costs may need to be paid by you.
- Some providers offer 'transport packages' (e.g. weekly shopping run plus monthly medical visits) that simplify scheduling.
- Multi-passenger pickups (e.g. with another SAH client at the same time) can sometimes be arranged, reducing cost.
Transport is one of the most under-discussed but high-value services under Support at Home. For older Australians who've stopped driving, reliable transport is often the difference between an independent life and an isolated one. The rules under SAH are flexible but worth understanding so you can plan well.
This post covers the three main types of transport, medical, social, shopping, and how each is handled.
Transport as an Independence service
Under SAH, transport falls in the Independence services category. That means:
- Means-tested contribution applies (0-50% based on your means assessment)
- Hourly rates are typically lower than personal care
- Scheduling is more flexible than clinical services
- The worker's time is the funded element; the vehicle and other costs vary
Where transport is being delivered as part of medical care (e.g. transport-as-part-of-physio), the situation can be different, see below.
Medical transport
Trips to GP, specialist, hospital, day procedure, dialysis, allied health appointments. This is usually the highest-priority transport category.
What's funded:
- Worker's time picking you up, accompanying you, returning you home
- Vehicle costs (typically built into the hourly rate)
- Some kilometric charges (varies by provider)
- Worker's time waiting at the appointment if relatively short
- Walking and physical support to/from the vehicle
What may not be funded:
- Tolls, parking fees, parking at hospitals (often you pay these)
- Long waits (some providers cap accompanied wait time at 30 mins)
- Out-of-area travel (e.g. to a specialist 100km away, may need a different arrangement)
- Multi-day trips (e.g. travel to interstate medical care)
Specific question to ask your provider: "How does medical transport work for me when I have a 4-hour day procedure? Will the worker stay or come back?" Quality providers have a clear policy.
Social transport
Visits to friends and family, religious services, social clubs, day activities, recreational outings. Lower priority than medical, but a real quality-of-life service.
What's funded:
- Worker's time and vehicle costs
- Accompaniment and physical support
- Sometimes social participation alongside (e.g. worker stays at the lunch club)
What's not funded:
- Your participation costs (entry fees, meals out)
- Trips that are primarily about the destination's commercial value (e.g. luxury holidays)
This is where a provider's flexibility shows. The good ones treat social participation as a real care goal; the less good ones grumble about it being "non-essential."
Shopping transport
Trips to the supermarket, pharmacy, butcher, post office, bank. Also a meaningful service.
Two common models:
Accompanied shopping. You go to the shop with the worker, they help you select items, carry bags, drive you home. Funded as Independence service hours.
Shopping for you. You give the worker a list, they shop alone and deliver. Some providers offer this; some don't. Often counted differently in time accounting.
Common variations:
- Weekly grocery run, predictable schedule, often with the same worker
- Pharmacy collection, often combined with other tasks
- Multi-stop trips, pharmacy + supermarket + bank in one outing
What's funded:
- Worker time and vehicle
- Help carrying bags into the home and putting items away
What's not:
- The cost of the groceries themselves (obviously)
- Cash withdrawal services (you handle banking yourself)
- High-value purchases requiring direct authorisation
The kilometric question
Some providers charge a per-kilometre rate for transport, on top of the worker's hourly rate. Reasonable rates are around $0.80-$1.00 per kilometre. This typically applies:
- For trips over a certain distance (e.g. above 10km from your home)
- For specific types of medical transport
- Where the provider's worker is travelling longer than usual
Less reasonable:
- Charging per-km on every transport trip regardless of distance
- Per-km rates above $1.50 (above what petrol and depreciation justify)
- Charging per-km on trips that are part of a regular service routine
Ask explicitly during onboarding: "Do you charge a kilometric rate? At what threshold? At what rate per km?"
Wheelchair and accessibility considerations
For participants with mobility limitations, transport service should include:
- Vehicles with accessibility features (low-floor entry, ramps for wheelchairs)
- Workers trained on safe transfers
- Equipment for transport (wheelchair restraints, transfer aids)
- Choice of vehicle type for different needs
Quality providers have a fleet that includes accessible vehicles. Lower-quality providers may not, and you may end up needing more workers per trip to manage transfers.
Multi-passenger trips
Some providers can arrange shared transport, multiple SAH participants picked up together for a common destination (e.g. a day program). When it works, it's:
- More cost-effective
- More social
- Operationally simpler
When it doesn't:
- Schedules are constrained by other participants
- Arrival times are less predictable
- Privacy is reduced
Ask whether your provider offers shared transport and whether it suits your needs.
Coordinating with My Aged Care Transport
In some areas, separate transport services exist that aren't funded through your SAH package:
- Community Transport programs, often council-run, low fee, for non-medical trips
- Patient Transport Service (state-based), for medical transport with specific clinical criteria
- Volunteer driver schemes, local community organisations
- Hospital-discharge transport, funded through health system, not aged care
Combine these creatively: a free community shuttle to the local shops on Wednesdays leaves more SAH transport budget for medical trips that the community shuttle can't cover.
Booking and scheduling
How transport gets booked:
- Routine recurring transport (weekly shopping, weekly social visits) is built into the care plan and rostered automatically
- One-off transport (e.g. a specialist appointment) typically needs 48-72 hours notice
- Urgent transport (e.g. unexpected medical) may be available depending on provider capacity
Quality providers have responsive transport scheduling. Lower-quality ones may push you to community transport for anything non-routine.
Compare on transport flexibility
Provider quality on transport varies widely. Some treat it as a core service; others treat it as a low-margin obligation. Use the price comparison tool to see hourly rates, then in your provider meeting ask specifically about transport: scheduling responsiveness, vehicle accessibility, kilometric charges.
For the broader picture of how transport fits into care planning, see our earlier transport under SAH guide.