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How Much Does Overnight Care Cost In Australia? Pricing & Package Trends (2025 Update)

The Australian Bureau of Statistics, in 2018, projected that the country’s elderly population (85 years or older) would double in the next 25 years. And in 2023, the University of Sydney’s Professor Lee-Fay Low wrote an article titled, “Confronting ageing: the talk Australia has to have”, where she claimed that “by 2026, more than 22 percent of Australians will be aged over 65  — up from 16 percent in 2020.” Professor Low also noted that the country will need to add “285,800 workers for aged care, disability and mental health support by 2050” to deal with this elder boom.

This is why, today in Australia, planning for overnight care for your elderly loved ones with special needs can feel like planning for a wedding. That’s right – the budgeting involved can be really tedious. And the truth is that many more Australians will be making these plans in the coming years.

To back these facts up, SEO research has shown that the search string, “How much does overnight care cost?” is on the rise. People are looking into night-time care packages, typical pricing and everything that can influence the final bill. In this guide, we’ll help you with all the answers in one place!

What Is Overnight Care? (“Overnight Caregiving Services”)

It’s a pretty straightforward answer, honestly. There are no hidden meanings to it. Overnight care is simply the act of watching someone and tending to their needs through the night. In the context of this guide, though, the care is handled by a professional caregiver. This is a service which families subscribe to when they cannot stay up through the night with their loved one who requires this type of care.

It is important to note that it isn’t the same thing as live-in (24-hour) care. A live-in carer literally lives in the home of the person needing the care, but is only required to be active for two of the 8-hour night period. A minute past the scheduled two hours means that the care has stepped into the territory of overnight care, which will reflect in the bill. When the cock crows, the overnight carer is out, and the family takes over, while the live-in carer wakes up to continue a day shift of caring for their patient’s special needs.

In Australia, only trained support workers employed by agencies like Support Network can provide overnight caregiving services, or by qualified private carers. Below are the key differences between agency-provided support carers and private carers.

• Administrative Support: Agencies handle recruitment and training, as well as backup. They ensure that their provided carers have the right qualifications, such as a Certificate III in Aged Care or Disability Support, First Aid certification, among others. Agencies also provide backup carers in emergencies.

• Caretaking Costs: Private carers are typically more affordable, as they report to no employer whose fees will be included in their bills.

The only people allowed outside of these professionals are family or friends of the person in need. Knowing these differences is the first step to choosing the right overnight care support, which we’ll cover in later sections of this guide.

Types of Overnight Care Packages (“Nightly Care Plans”)

Before you ask yourself – or a search engine – “how much does overnight care cost?”, you need to understand something. Overnight care packages are not one-size-fits-all. Nightly care plans come in different “flavours” to suit different needs and budgets. See them below:

• Hourly Rates: A simple hourly payment is made based on agreed rates to the carer. It’s the most common package that most Aussies seek out.

• Flat Rates: The carer and the family agree on a one-time flat fee to cover the entire night’s shift. It’s similar to the sleepover care (live-in or 24-hour care) because the carer is not expected to be awake for the entire night. Different agencies have their methods for this, though. Some allow their carers to only do one hour of work at the flat rate, and will charge extra for another hour.

• Live-in Rates: Some live-in packages include overnight care coverage. However, this can be arranged as a 24-hour shift or multiple consecutive shifts. It’s typically used for very dire needs such as end-of-life care.

Now, you know what types of overnight care packages exist, so you can search with intention to find exactly what you’re looking for. But how much does each of these packages cost? Let’s find out more!

How Much Does Overnight Care Cost? (“Overnight Care Pricing & Rates”)

Okay – it’s time to answer the big question!

Costs actually vary across Australia, but here’s the general idea: Active overnight hourly care packages cost between AU$40–60 per hour, while sleepover rates (live-in care where the carer is required to be active for an hour or two) cost between AU$80–150. These rates depend on the provider, of course, and go up on weekends. And if you, your family or your elder loved one has NDIS support, though, these fees do not apply to you because you pay less.

Context matters a lot when choosing which packages to pay for, so here’s some for you: If you choose an active carer who has to stay up all night at AU$40 per hour, you’ll be paying AU$320 at the end of the shift. If you choose sleepover care, your bill is between AU$80–150, making it the cheaper option. But don’t forget, sleepover care means that your carer gives your loved one at most two hours of care. This isn’t ideal for many of the reasons that you’d normally want to have hired hands to help with your loved one’s care.

The fees we outlined above? Just labour costs. You need to book carers, and that comes with a booking fee. Booking carers is your way of making them commit to working for you at the times you need them. This is usually around 10 percent of their labour costs. Some providers also charge travel costs. This is common among agencies. Some providers also charge extra for medication assistance or personal care (like showers and meal time).

You know what? Let’s just walk through the factors that influence the final bill for overnight care in Australia.

Key Factors That Influence Overnight Care Cost (“Overnight Care Cost Drivers”)

1. Experience and Qualifications

A new entrant into the care industry may charge less to build a clientele that they can eventually charge more as time goes on. An experienced one will charge what they believe their experience is worth. Let’s say you contact an agency to send you a carer who needs complex medical care at night. You’ll probably be getting an experienced registered nurse instead of a junior support worker. This will cost more.

2. Location and Demand

In urban settlements, care costs more. In Sydney or Melbourne, for example, the high cost of living means that people looking to pay for care for their loved ones will have to fork out a sizeable chunk to the carers or their agencies. Travel and booking fees in these areas, too, can cost more. Travel fees in rural areas with tricky or long access roads can also cost more. Some agencies calculate travel costs by kilometres, so be sure of the services you need before placing that call.

3. Type of Care

Does your loved one have dementia? Are they recovering from a stroke? Are they prone to falls? Are they at the end of their lives? The type of care you need adds up to your final bill. This means you’ll end up paying booking fees, labour hours, care type costs and travel fees at the end of every caregiving shift.

4. Additional Fees

If you’re dealing with an agency, you’ll be paying admin fees of around 10–15 percent of the labour costs, too. If your home doesn’t have parking, you’re covering the carer’s parking fees. If your loved one needs equipment like hospital beds, which are built for patient care, you’ll be paying rental fees. If they need any medical supplies you don’t already have, you’re buying them. Always lay out what you want and get a quote, which will help you and the carer understand what you’re paying for.

Helpful Tip 1: Paying a one-off fee for a nightly care plan is cool, but do you know what’s cooler? Discounted payments! That’s right–many providers are willing to negotiate discounted packages if your loved one needs more than one night of care. Whether it’s consecutive nights, weekends, or even months, packages exist that you can take advantage of, which are always more affordable than one-off payments!

Helpful Tip 2: We’ve already established that the NDIS provides subsidies for overnight care. Here’s a full breakdown of all available subsidies to help you manage the cost of taking care of your loved elderly one:

• NDIS: If your loved one is 65 and younger and qualifies, NDIS has funding that covers sleepover care and active overnight care. Visit their guidelines for more information.

• Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP): If your loved one is 65 and older, the CHSP is there for you. However, they fund only respite care, which means that only families with a dedicated family carer can apply for this. The CHSP funds up to two nights so that the family carer can take a short break.

• Home Care Packages (HCP): This is a tiered subsidy for complex medical support at home. Levels 3 and 4 cover overnight care packages. You can get as much as AU$1,570 at Level 3 and AU$2,381 at Level 4 every two weeks in subsidies from this package, which will help with overnight care payments.

The only downside is that there are waitlists for these subsidies, but in the end, they are usually cheaper for families. Smart Aussies mix both (subsidies and personal payments).

How to Compare Overnight Care Packages (“Overnight Care Package Comparison”)

So far, this guide has brought you information that answers the question, “How much does overnight care cost?”. Now, it’s time to learn how to shop!

That’s right – never book the first support provider that ticks your boxes! If one ticks all your boxes, there are surely a lot more out there that do. Always look up as many providers as you can and compare packages, so you don’t have to break the bank!

Here are helpful tips to aid your overnight care package comparison moves.

1. Research and Read Reviews

Always start your search from your locality. If a provider catches your attention, ask around. Neighbours, clinics, pharmacies, even schools and religious houses – ask people around you if they know them. If your search is online, read as much as you can on them, especially their reviews. If you’re in Canberra, Support Network provides these services, which you can enquire about from neighbours and friends.

2. Understand What You Want to Spot Hidden Costs

When you’ve settled on a support provider, request a quote from them. Make sure to insist on them itemising every item that attracts a fee. Ask for things like overtime, admin costs, travel costs, equipment rental costs and the like. Make sure you’re also aware of what a typical quote for your needs will look like, so that you don’t get bamboozled. Some providers publish pricing schedules which show how much they charge for certain days of the week, weekends and on holidays. Where they don’t ask if they have these.

3. Negotiate

Providers will happily negotiate with you as long as you ask politely. If you’re looking for a package deal, never skip the negotiation process. Not all providers are open to negotiations, however, which is why the first tip is important.

Take this like shopping for a watermelon at a market. One watermelon may feel lighter than the other. Ask why, and decide based on the information you receive. A carer may charge AU$45/hour and AU$20 for travel costs, but another charges AU$60 with travel included. The five bucks per visit you save going with the other carer could end up being a wiser decision.

Tips to Save on Overnight Care Without Sacrificing Quality

In the end, what we want is a way to pay for our loved ones’ care without breaking the bank, readjusting our personal budgets, or worse, going into debt. And no matter how much time a family carer has on their hands, getting a professional support worker always makes a world of difference.

Overnight care is expensive. However, you can save money by doing some or all of the following:

1. Bundle Services for Discounts

In earlier sections of this guide, we hinted at this. If your loved one needs constant care, don’t pay per night. Seek out packages or negotiate for one with the carer of your choice. Many providers are more than happy to strike deals to this effect. Some even offer loyalty programmes or lower their admin fees for long-term clients.

2. Think Private

Agencies are cool because they provide training, backup and other perks, but sometimes, what you can afford is a private carer who is comparable to an agency. Many private carers even offer agency perks like backups, thanks to most of them being part of networks which allow them to call for help when in an emergency. Also, subsidies can allow you to hire a carer directly instead of going through an agency’s bureaucratic processes. However, you handle all the admin in this case, so make sure you weigh your options properly.

3. Plan Around Holidays and Weekends

Weekends and holidays cost more in the care industry. If you can, shift your schedule so that the carer covers holidays and/or weekends to give you and your family some rest. This also means that you have to share the care, even as your family’s dedicated carer. Have trusted family, friends, and neighbours stand in for you on some days, while you leave the weekends and holidays to the pros. Understand the uniqueness of your situation before you opt for this, though. Some conditions may require a pro on the ground all the time, which is where private hiring and negotiation for discounts come in.

4. Don’t Pass up on Community

This is the most affordable care dollar you will spend. There are carer support groups everywhere. There are also some volunteer organisations willing to care for your loved ones as long as you make some donations to their cause. Your local council may even have something for you. Don’t pass up on community help.

Overnight Care Cost FAQs

Q1: Will I pay GST as part of overnight car charges?

If you contact an agency, you’re most likely contacting a business. This means that you’re going to be paying the regular 10 percent GST on top of the rates they give you. Some private carers will also demand that you sort out GST for their services. Always ask for a full breakdown of the quotes you receive to know if you’re paying GST.

Q2: Do I need to go through an agency, or can I hire a carer directly to save money?

Yes! You can hire an independent carer to save money. Doing this helps you cut out agency fees, admin fees and other bureaucratic fees that come with hiring a carer contracted to an agency. Available data shows that this saves families up to 15 percent in total payments. However, you must understand that you will be responsible for all the administrative duties that hiring directly comes with. These include verifying credentials, police clearance checks, drawing up contracts, verifying insurance, personal background checks, and so on. You also have to be in charge of calling in backups, which is why you should verify that your chosen independent carer is part of a network that can help out in emergencies.

Q3: Can I call on a carer after hours?

Yes, you can, but the carer must be paid the required overtime rates under the NDIS’ SCHADS Award scheme. The rules of this award state that a sleepover carer (carer who slides over but works a maximum of two hours per night) who is called upon to assist after their shift is done does so with the expectation of overtime payment equal to the agreed fee for one hour of labour multiplied by agreed overtime rates. Some agencies or independent carers may charge 1.5 times more for overtime, which means an AU$40 hourly rate could become an AU$60 hourly rate. Families avoid this by opting for active overnight packages.

Q4: How do travel and admin fees work?

Carers charge for the travel time spent moving from their base to your home. It could be a flat rate or a rate per kilometre covered, or even a rate per hour spent driving. Admin fees are agency charges to handle stuff like checks, insurance and other things listed in the answer to Q2. Always confirm these rates with your care provider. Also, if you have an NDIS plan, some of these fees may have been covered. Always confirm.

Q5: Are there different rates for weekends or public holidays?

Yes, every care support provider charges differently for weekends and public holidays. The extra is to cover overtime allowances, as the carers are required to work on non-constitutionally approved working times and days. These rates could cost up to 50 percent extra, so it is important that you plan with this in mind.

Congratulations on reaching the end of this guide! We are sure you have found an answer to the question, “How much does overnight care cost?” while learning a lot more about the factors that drive the costs and how to get good deals.

Your key takeaway from this guide should be that overnight care packages cost vary from region to region. They also vary on who’s providing the care and what kind of help your loved one needs. Don’t forget the subsidies: the NDIS, CHSP and the HCPs. Make sure to mix them, because they will help you save a lot of money.

If you’re in Sydney or anywhere in Australia, look no further than the Support Network. We understand how overwhelming it can be and provide honest and transparent quotes for overnight care in Canberra and beyond. Reach out today, and we’ll walk you through a brilliantly itemised quote to cover all your loved one's needs! A good night’s sleep should never be too expensive!

Never forget, we are always cheering you on!