What Happens After You're Approved for Assistive Technology Funding? A Practical Guide

If you’re helping a parent navigate this, and most people coordinating AT-HM are adult children, not the person receiving care, these are the practical questions worth asking early, before they become a source of delay or frustration.

For the basics on what AT-HM covers and how funding tiers work, read our guide to the AT-HM scheme. If you’d like to understand why assistive technology matters in the first place, see our article on how assistive technology supports independence at home. This article picks up from there.

Why almost everything starts with an OT assessment

Most assistive technology and home modifications need a prescription or professional recommendation from an Occupational Therapist before funding can be used. It can feel like an extra hoop to jump through, especially when the need seems obvious – a parent is clearly unsteady on the stairs, so why not just install a rail?

The reason is accountability. AT-HM funding has to be spent against an assessed need, and the OT assessment is what documents that need and matches it to the right equipment. It also protects the person using it – the right grab rail height or the right walker width isn’t always the obvious choice, and a poorly matched item can do more harm than good.

What to expect? 

The OT will usually visit the home, watch how the person moves through key areas (bathroom, entryways, stairs) and recommend specific items or changes. This assessment is separate from the aged care assessment that approved the AT-HM funding in the first place, so it helps to budget time for both.

If your parent is renting, start the conversation early

Permanent home modifications – grab rails, ramps, widened doorways – usually need the property owner’s consent, whether that’s a private landlord or a retirement village operator. This is one of the most common reasons AT-HM projects stall, simply because permission wasn’t sought until the equipment or trade was ready to go.

If your parent is in a rental property, it’s worth raising modifications with the landlord or property manager as soon as an OT assessment recommends them, rather than after quotes are in hand. Some landlords will agree readily, particularly for reversible changes like grab rails. Others may want it in writing, or may ask about reinstating the property to its original condition later. Knowing the property owner’s position early means it doesn’t become the thing holding everything else up.

Where permanent modifications aren’t possible, non-permanent alternatives – portable ramps, suction-mounted rails, or temporary bathroom aids – can often bridge the gap.

What to do while you’re waiting

Assessments, quotes and installations all take time, and that wait can feel like a safety risk if a parent needs support now. 

A few practical options can help in the meantime:

• Loan equipment. A National Assistive Technology Loans scheme is being progressively rolled out, allowing eligible participants to borrow certain equipment, such as walkers or shower chairs, while longer-term arrangements are sorted. 
• Low-cost, no-prescription items. Some simple, low-risk items on the official AT-HM list don’t require a prescription and can be sourced quickly.
• Bringing safety forward in the conversation. If there’s an immediate risk, such as a fall hazard in the bathroom, flag this directly with your provider or assessor. Urgent safety needs are usually prioritised differently to routine requests.

Getting quotes and organising trades

Once an OT has recommended specific modifications, your provider will usually help source quotes from approved suppliers or tradespeople. 

A few things are worth confirming upfront to avoid delays partway through:

• Whether the quote includes installation, or just the equipment and materials
• Realistic timeframes, since trades and equipment suppliers can have their own waiting lists separate from the aged care process
• What paperwork or approvals need to be finalised before a tradesperson will schedule the work

Asking these questions at the quoting stage, rather than assuming they’ll sort themselves out, is usually what separates a smooth installation from a stalled one.

A simple checklist before you start

1. Has the OT assessment been booked, and do you know what it will assess?
2. If renting, have you contacted the landlord or property manager?
3. Is there an immediate safety need that should be flagged as urgent?
4. Once recommendations come through, do you have quotes that clearly state what’s included and when work can start?
5. Is there an interim option, such as loan equipment or a low-cost item, that helps in the meantime?

We can help you work through it

Want to understand the funding itself first? Read our guide to the AT-HM scheme, explore the full Support at Home program, or check Support at Home eligibility.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need an OT assessment for every item, or just home modifications?

Some low-risk items on the official AT-HM list don’t require a prescription. Most home modifications and higher-tier equipment do need an OT’s professional recommendation, which forms part of your funding approval.

Can a landlord refuse to allow home modifications?

Yes. Property owners can decline permanent changes to a rental property. Raising the request early and discussing reversible options where consent is refused avoids this becoming a late-stage hold-up.

Is there a way to get equipment sooner while waiting for the full process?

A National Assistive Technology Loans scheme is being rolled out in stages and may allow eligible participants to borrow some equipment in the interim. Availability varies by location and item.

Who arranges the tradespeople for home modifications?

Your provider typically coordinates quotes and installation with approved suppliers once the OT assessment has confirmed what’s needed. It’s worth confirming upfront whether quotes include both materials and installation.

What if there’s an urgent safety issue and we can’t wait for the standard process?

Flag it directly with your assessor or provider. Urgent safety needs, such as an immediate fall risk, are generally treated differently to routine requests.

Watch: How the AT-HM scheme works

This short video from the Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing explains how Assistive Technology and Home Modifications funding can support your independence at home.