Support at Home

Support at Home is a new in-home aged care program that commenced on 1 November 2025. It replaces the Home Care Packages (HCP) Program and Short-Term Restorative Care (STRC) Programme. This program is designed to provide coordinated care and services to meet the assessed ageing-related care needs of eligible older people. The program officially replaces the previous Home Care Packages (HCP) Program and the Short-Term Restorative Care (STRC) Programme.

Access to funded aged care services begins by registering with My Aged Care. You will participate in an aged care assessment, which determines your eligibility for ongoing and/or short-term services. Following the assessment, you will receive a Notice of Decision and a Support Plan outlining your approved funding classification, recommended services, and identified needs and goals.

Funded aged care services under Support at Home are grouped into three main categories:

1. Clinical Supports: Includes specialized services like nursing care, occupational therapy, and physiotherapy.

2. Independence: Covers support for daily living activities such as personal care, social support, community engagement, respite care, and transport.

3. Everyday Living: Provides support for domestic assistance, home maintenance and repairs, and meals.

The specific services you are eligible to receive are determined by your assessed needs and outlined in your Notice of Decision and support plan.

Your funding is allocated based on your approved classification and is generally divided into a quarterly budget. Ten percent (10%) of your quarterly budget for ongoing services is automatically deducted and pooled into a care management account held by Services Australia, which the provider uses flexibly for care management activities across all participants in that service branch.

If your quarterly budget is not fully utilized, the unspent amount can carry over to the next quarter, up to a maximum limit of $1,000 or 10% of the quarterly budget, whichever amount is higher.

You may be required to pay participant contributions, which are based on an assessment of your income and assets completed by Services Australia.

• Clinical Supports (e.g., nursing, allied health) have a contribution rate of 0% and are fully funded by the government.
• Independence and Everyday Living services may require a contribution based on your assessment.

If you face genuine financial hardship and cannot afford your contributions, your provider can assist you in applying for the Fee Reduction Supplement through Services Australia.

Care management is a mandatory ongoing core service delivered by your Support at Home provider through a staff member known as a care partner. The activities involve initial and ongoing coordination, care planning, service management, budget review, and monitoring.

Your provider must deliver at least one direct care management activity (minimum 15 minutes) to you every month. Care partners should review and update your care plan at least once every 12 months, or sooner if your needs or circumstances change.

The AT-HM scheme is one of the three short-term classifications, providing separate funding tiers for older people who need equipment, products, and home modifications to increase independence and safety at home. This funding is separate from your budget for ongoing Support at Home services. Examples of items include mobility equipment (like wheelchairs and walking frames) and modifications (like grab rails and ramps).

The End-of-Life Pathway is a short-term classification designed to support participants who have been diagnosed with 3 months or less to live and meet the eligibility criteria. This pathway provides a one-off budget of $25,000 over a 12-week period (with potential access to funds up to 16 weeks), enabling access to approved services from the Support at Home service list to complement palliative care services.

Once your funding (including interim funding) is allocated, you have 56 calendar days to find a provider and enter into a service agreement. You can contact My Aged Care to request an extension of 28 days, giving you a total of 84 calendar days. If you do not enter into a service agreement within this timeframe, your funding for that classification will be withdrawn.

Yes, you can change Support at Home providers at any time. You should inform your outgoing provider of your decision and agree on an exit date to ensure continuity of care and appropriate transfer of records.

There are no formal leave arrangements under Support at Home for temporarily stopping services. However, if services are stopped temporarily, your quarterly budget continues to be credited. Be aware that your funding will be reduced to zero and reallocated if a total of four consecutive quarters (one year) pass since the end of the quarter from when the last service was delivered.

There are no formal leave arrangements under Support at Home. Your funding remains allocated while services are stopped, and your quarterly budget continues to be credited (though carryover limits apply). However, your funding will be reduced to zero and reallocated if a total of four consecutive quarters (one year) pass since the end of the quarter in which the last service was delivered.

The Restorative Care Pathway provides intensive, short-term care (up to 16 weeks) focused on regaining function. For this pathway, a detailed Goal Plan is mandatory and replaces the standard Care Plan required for ongoing services. The Goal Plan must identify specific, measurable goals achievable within the 16-week episode, supported by clinical services, and includes frequent progress reviews. An Exit Plan must also be completed by the restorative care partner to determine necessary next steps or ongoing support once the episode concludes.

You will receive several documents detailing your approved care and funding:

I. Notice of Decision: Received after assessment, outlining your approved classification and services.

II. Service Agreement: Entered into with the provider before services commence, detailing the price, scope, and terms of service delivery.

III. Individualised Budget: Developed in partnership with the provider, detailing government funding, supplements, costs of each service, and contributions.

IV. Monthly Statement: Must be issued no later than the last day of the following calendar month (e.g., the January statement must be issued by February 28th). This statement details the available funding, services delivered, contributions paid, and remaining budget.