Australia’s ageing population and policy emphasis on ageing in-place have intensified demand for home-based care, while ongoing aged care reforms continue to reshape service access, coordination, and delivery. Despite this period of rapid change, limited evidence captures the real-world experiences of those providing or receiving care in the home environment. This study examines the demand for, and experiences of, home-based care in Australia from the perspectives of care recipients, informal caregivers, and care providers, and identifies service gaps and opportunities to strengthen community-based care. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted between August and December 2025. Survey domains included care needs and intensity, models of care provision, decision making and care preferences, access to formal and informal supports, and the impacts of caregiving. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics, while open ended responses underwent thematic analysis. Approximately 340 surveys from care recipients, informal caregivers, and care providers were analysed. Findings revealed diverse and often complex care needs, with substantial reliance on informal caregiving. Participants reported fragmented and difficult-to-navigate formal care systems, limited-service availability and significant caregiver burden. Care providers further identified system fragmentation, inadequate information sharing, and barriers to coordinating timely and effective support. Home-based care in Australia remains heavily dependent on unpaid caregivers and constrained by access, coordination, and workforce challenges during reform. These findings highlight the urgent need for more integrated, accessible, and person-centred models of home-based care that better support older people, the workforce and informal carers