Navigating the Support at Home Transition: What You Need to Know

The aged care landscape has shifted significantly since 1 November 2025, with the introduction of the new Aged Care Act as well as the Support at Home program, which replaced Home Care Packages and Short-Term Restorative Care. These changes have resulted in a new model for in-home care. 

For healthcare professionals who regularly support older patients or clients, understanding these changes helps you guide your patients through what can feel like an overwhelming transition. 

As trusted advisors in your patients’ lives, you’re often the first point of contact when older Australians have questions about accessing support. Here’s what you might find helpful to know. 

What’s stayed the same 

For many of the people you’ve been referring to home care services, the transition has been relatively seamless:

• CHSP services for entry-level care remain unchanged
• Existing Home Care Package recipients were automatically transitioned to Support at Home on November 1, with a similar level of funding and contributions maintained.
• Any unspent funds were carried over, and supplements for oxygen, enteral feeding, veterans’ needs, dementia and cognition support, or hardship provisions remained in place. 
• The eligibility criteria remains unchanged: supporting those over 65 years, or 50 years and older for those who identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander or are experiencing/at risk of homelessness

The assessment process through My Aged Care continues to be the entry point for accessing services. You can still support your patients by helping them initiate referrals, and many providers, including Dovida, continue to offer assistance with My Aged Care applications as part of their service. 

What’s changed 

Support at Home is different to the former Home Care Packages in the following ways:

• 4 HCP package levels have become 8 Support at Home Classifications, with the highest level of annual funding increased to $78,000. This shift aims to create more equitable access, ensuring people with similar care requirements receive comparable support regardless of when they entered the system. 
• Participants now receive quarterly budgets rather than annual packages, allowing for more flexible service delivery across the quarter.
• Participants are expected to contribute to the costs of services, based on their income and assets, as assessed by Services Australia.
• There are 3 different service categories, with differing levels of contributions:

Clinical Care	Independence Supports	Everyday Living Supports
eg. nursing care or allied health services	eg. personal care and social support	eg. domestic assistance, gardening
0% contribution (fully-funded)	5% – 50% contribution	17.5% – 80% contribution

• For new participants, they only access services they’ve been assessed as needing.
• Unspent funds can only be accrued up to $1,000 or 10% of the quarterly budget (whichever is higher).
• There are 3 separate short-term funding pathways available, including the Assistive Technology and Home Modifications scheme (AT-HM), plus funding for Restorative Care and End-of-Life Care for those who meet eligibility criteria

One important practical change: there are no formal leave arrangements under Support at Home. If your patient temporarily stops receiving services for hospitalisation, transition care, or other reasons, their funding continues. However, providers need to deliver at least one service within each 12-month period to maintain eligibility. 

Supporting informed decisions 

Your clinical insights remain invaluable in the referral process. When you share observations about a patient’s functional changes, care needs, or safety concerns with aged care assessors, you’re helping ensure assessments accurately reflect the person’s circumstances. 

For patients with complex needs or those requiring specialised care such as dementia support, palliative care, or high-intensity personal care, detailed information from you as their treating practitioner strengthens the assessment process. This collaborative approach sits at the heart of effective care coordination. 

Where to find reliable information 

The Department of Health and Aged Care maintains comprehensive resources about Support at Home on their website, including detailed program manuals and transition guides. They have a guide specifically for healthcare professionals.

My Aged Care (1800 200 422) remains the central contact point for eligibility questions and making referrals. 

As a home care provider, we’re also here as a resource. At Dovida, our Care Managers work closely with GPs, specialists, discharge planners, and allied health professionals to ensure continuity of care for our clients. We welcome your questions about how the changes affect your shared patients and can provide information sessions for your teams if that would be helpful. 

The transition to Support at Home represents the aged care sector’s ongoing evolution. Your role as a trusted advisor and healthcare partner continues to be essential in helping older Australians access the care they need to remain safely at home.