Falls and staying mobile: rails, ramps, walkers and the funding behind them
Last updated 20 August 2026
Figures on this page - AT-HM tier amounts - are current at 20 August 2026.
The short version
- The services that most reduce falls - physiotherapy, occupational therapy, podiatry and nursing - are clinical care, free for everyone under Support at Home.
- Equipment and home modifications come through the separate AT-HM scheme, in three tiers: up to $500 (no assessment needed), up to $2,000, and up to $15,000 (needs a health professional’s prescription). Each is a 12-month cap.
- AT-HM money is on top of your quarterly budget - buying a walker or installing rails doesn’t reduce your care hours.
- A recent fall raises your priority. If you’ve fallen, tell My Aged Care and ask for a priority review.
Falls prevention: the services, and what they cost you
Most falls aren’t bad luck - they’re a mix of weakening strength and balance, hazards at home, footwear and foot problems, and medication effects. Support at Home funds services against each of these, and because they’re clinical care, there’s no contribution to pay:
- Physiotherapy and exercise physiology - strength and balance programs, the single best-evidenced way to cut falls risk.
- Occupational therapy - a home hazard and functional assessment: how you actually move through your bathroom, steps and kitchen, and what would make each safer.
- Podiatry - foot care and footwear advice.
- Nursing - including medication reviews where dizziness is a concern.
Personal alarms and monitoring systems are also funded, as independence services - these carry a means-tested contribution of around 5-50%. Falls risk and home-safety risks are explicit factors in your assessment, so describe any near-misses honestly: they affect both your classification and how quickly you’re funded.
Equipment through the AT-HM scheme: three tiers
Assistive technology and home modifications have their own scheme - AT-HM - with funding separate from your quarterly care budget. Spending from one has no effect on the other. Your assessment decides which tier you can access; funding is valid for 12 months from your service agreement date, and items can be purchased, rented or borrowed through equipment loan schemes - handy while your mobility is still changing.
- Low - up to $500 over 12 months. Simple, low-risk items: grab sticks, non-slip mats, basic aids. No prescription or clinical assessment needed - you self-declare the need.
- Medium - up to $2,000 over 12 months. Items where professional advice matters for choosing and using them safely: many walkers and rollators, shower chairs, raised toilet seats, bed rails.
- High - up to $15,000 over 12 months. Complex equipment and significant home modifications. This tier requires a clinical assessment and a formal written prescription from a qualified health professional - usually an occupational therapist. With strong clinical evidence, more can sometimes be approved.
People often skip equipment because they’re “saving the budget for care hours”. You don’t have to choose: AT-HM funding sits alongside your quarterly budget, and the clinical assessment for equipment is itself fully government-funded. A means-tested contribution applies to the items (independence category). One note for former Home Care Package holders: unspent HCP funds carried across need to be spent down before new AT-HM funding is drawn.
Had a fall, or worried about one?
Tell us what’s happening at home. We’ll help you understand what an OT visit could set in motion - and find providers who handle equipment and modifications well.
How a home modification actually happens
For rails, ramps and bigger changes, the process runs in a set order:
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An OT assesses your home
An occupational therapist (or other allied health professional) visits, watches how you move through the house, and identifies what would make it safer. The assessment is free to you.
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They write a prescription
A written recommendation sets out exactly what’s needed - which rails, where, what gradient of ramp. For high-tier work this prescription is mandatory.
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Your provider quotes and arranges the work
The provider obtains quotes and organises installation through your AT-HM funding tier. You should see the quotes before work is approved.
What’s covered: grab rails in showers and bathrooms, internal and external handrails, ramps, stair lifts, lever taps and door handles, widened doorways, non-slip surfaces, better lighting, and wheelchair-accessible bathroom redesigns. What isn’t: ordinary household repairs, general renovations or value-adding building work, and anything another government program already funds. If you live in a remote area (MMM 6-7), a remote supplement adds 50% to your AT-HM funding to cover higher delivery and trade costs.
Common questions
Who pays for grab rails or a ramp?
The AT-HM scheme, through the tier your assessment approves - not your quarterly care budget. Simple rails often fit in the medium tier; ramps and bathroom modifications usually go through the high tier with an OT prescription. A means-tested contribution applies to the work itself.
Can I get a walker without a full assessment?
Basic low-cost aids under the $500 low tier need no clinical assessment - you self-declare the need. Most walkers and rollators sit in the $2,000 medium tier, where professional advice is required so the equipment is right for you and safe to use.
Does equipment money come out of my care budget?
No. AT-HM funding is completely separate from your quarterly Support at Home budget - spending on equipment or modifications doesn’t reduce your care hours, and vice versa.
How long is the AT-HM funding valid?
Each tier is a cap over 12 months from your service agreement date. People with progressive neurological conditions can have a 24-month window, extendable to 48. If your needs change within the year, ask for a Support Plan Review.
I’ve just had a fall - does that speed anything up?
It can. A recent fall or hospitalisation is a recognised clinical risk factor that lifts your priority for assessment and funding, and you can ask My Aged Care (1800 200 422) for a priority review. It isn’t guaranteed, but it’s always worth asking - and mention it at every step.
Sources
- Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, health.gov.au - Assistive Technology and Home Modifications (AT-HM) Scheme, accessed August 2026.
- My Aged Care, myagedcare.gov.au - “Assistive Technology and Home Modifications Scheme”, accessed 20 August 2026.
- Support at Home Program Manual - service list, clinical care categories and AT-HM arrangements.
- Aged Care Decisions - “Aged care home modifications: AT-HM scheme”, accessed August 2026.