Compassionate Aged Care (Support At Home) that Enriches Life
At UnitingCare Community Services, we understand that choosing the right support as you age is a deeply personal decision, and one that shouldn’t feel overwhelming. Our team works alongside older Australians and their families to navigate the new Support at Home program with genuine care and clarity, from your very first assessment through to the ongoing delivery of your services. Whether you need clinical support, a hand with everyday tasks, or home modifications that keep you safe and comfortable, we tailor our approach around what matters most to you. Staying independent in the home you love shouldn’t mean going it alone, and that’s exactly why we’re here.
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What Should You Know About Support at Home?
Support at Home forms part of a wider shake-up of aged care across the country. The goal is to give older Australians a system that’s more straightforward and consistent.
Here’s a rundown of the essentials:
- Purpose: Government-funded assistance that helps older Australians stay safe, engaged and independent at home.
- Start date: 1 November 2025.
- Replaces: Home Care Packages (HCP) and the Short-Term Restorative Care Programme (STRC).
- CHSP: The Commonwealth Home Support Program is set to move across to Support at Home no earlier than 1 July 2027.
- Core support types: Clinical care, independence support, everyday living help, assistive technology, home modifications, restorative care, and end-of-life support.
Who Can Access Support at Home?
Support at Home is built for older Australians who require consistent, ongoing help at home – not just the occasional bit of assistance.
It covers a range of care levels, from those with lighter needs through to people requiring significant daily support. Whether it’s managing a health condition, staying safe around the house, or getting help with everyday tasks, the program is designed for people who need this kind of support regularly rather than as a once-off.
You may be eligible for Support at Home if you are:
- Aged 65 or older
- An Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person aged 50 or older
- Aged 50 or older and currently experiencing homelessness, or at risk of it
To access the program, you’ll need to go through a formal assessment confirming that ongoing support is needed. This could relate to help with bathing, taking medication, getting around, or coping with multiple health concerns.
How Does Support at Home Actually Work?
The process generally follows these steps:
1.Getting in touch with My Aged Care | 2.Completing an assessment | 3.Working out your plan and budget | 4.Selecting a provider | 5.Starting your services
Step 1
Reach Out to My Aged Care
The first move is to contact My Aged Care, either by:
- Phoning the My Aged Care support line, or
- Registering through the My Aged Care website.
During this initial contact, you’ll be asked about your health, your home environment, and the type of support you feel you need. It’s fine to have a family member or trusted friend join the call to help out.
Step 2
Complete a Combined Assessment
You’ll then be booked in for a thorough assessment, which might take place in your home, over the phone, or via video call. During this assessment, someone will:
- Speak with you directly, and with your family or carer if that’s helpful.
- Review how you’re managing with mobility, safety, memory, mood and daily life.
- Find out what matters to you most – whether that’s independence, social connection, or something else entirely.
The results of this assessment determine your eligibility and the level of funding you’ll be offered.
Step 3
Receive Your Plan and Budget
Once approved, you’ll be given:
- A personalised Support at Home plan outlining your goals and the services available to you.
- A budget, or funding level, matched to your assessed needs.
Rather than the previous four-tier system under Home Care Packages, Support at Home now offers eight funding levels. This allows your support to be tailored more precisely to your circumstances.
Step 4
Pick a Provider
With your plan and budget confirmed, you can select an approved provider, such as:
- An approved Support at Home provider, like UnitingCare Community Services
- A not-for-profit or community-based aged care organisation
- A private in-home care provider
Whichever provider you choose will help coordinate your workers, manage your funding, and organise any equipment or home modifications you need. You’re free to switch providers down the track if things aren’t working out.
What’s Included Under Support at Home?
The program is organised into distinct service categories:
- Clinical support
- Independence support
- Everyday living support
- Home modifications and assistive technology
- Short-term care pathways
Clinical Support (Typically Fully Funded)
Clinical support covers health-related services and is generally funded in full by the government, provided it’s included in your plan. This can include:
- Nursing care, including wound management, continence support, and monitoring ongoing conditions
- Allied health services, such as physiotherapy, occupational therapy, podiatry, and dietetics
- Care coordination for people managing more complex health needs
- Clinical counselling or psychological care connected to your health
These services help keep you medically well, reduce the likelihood of hospital admissions, and support your health while you remain at home.
Independence Support
Independence support is about helping you manage personal care and stay involved in life, rather than focusing purely on medical needs. It can include:
- Personal care, such as assistance with bathing, dressing, and grooming
- Medication assistance, including reminders or help taking your medication correctly
- Community and social participation, such as group outings or transport to social events
- Respite care, offering your carer a scheduled break
Because these services are partly funded, you’ll typically contribute a co-payment based on your income and the specific supports you access.
Everyday Living Support
Everyday living support is focused on maintaining a clean, safe and manageable home. It’s sometimes described as domestic assistance and can include:
- Household help – cleaning, laundry, bed changes, and shopping assistance
- Meal support – help with meal planning, cooking, or reheating food
- Home upkeep – small repairs that reduce safety hazards
- Garden care – lawn mowing, weeding, and general outdoor tidying
Like independence support, this category is subsidised, with your contribution based on your financial circumstances. For many older Australians, this is one of the most valued parts of the program because it keeps daily life at home manageable and safe.
Assistive Technology and Home Modifications
Support at Home also includes a specific stream for Assistive Technology and Home Modifications (AT-HM), covering:
- Assistive technology, including recliner chairs, walking frames, wheelchairs, mobility scooters, and fall or home monitoring sensors
- Home modifications, including grab rails, step-free showers, bathroom upgrades, ramps, wider doorways, and better lighting
These changes are designed to reduce the risk of falls, improve mobility around the home, and ease pressure on family members providing care.
Short-Term Care Pathways
There are also short-term pathways built into Support at Home, designed for specific situations. These include:
- A Restorative Care Pathway, offering intensive allied health and nursing support after an illness, injury or surgery, generally for a defined period (such as up to 16 weeks).
- An End-of-Life Pathway, providing clinical care, equipment and respite for people who wish to remain at home in their final stage of life.
- Short-term flexible support, which can be arranged quickly if circumstances change suddenly, helping to avoid unnecessary hospital or residential care where possible.
These pathways work alongside your regular services, giving you access to extra support exactly when you need it.
What Does Support at Home Cost?
Your costs under Support at Home depend on which services you use and your personal financial situation.
Clinical services, including nursing and allied health, are fully funded for participants.
Independence and everyday living support are partially subsidised, meaning you’ll pay a co-contribution.
These contributions are means-tested and differ depending on the category of service. Independence support contributions range from 5% to 50%, while everyday living support contributions can range from 17.5% to 80%, depending on your income and assets.
One notable change is that you now only pay for services you actually use. The flat daily fee that applied under many Home Care Packages no longer exists.
Contribution rates and fee limits may be updated over time, so it’s worth checking My Aged Care or official government resources for the latest figures.
Support at Home vs the NDIS: What’s the Difference?
It’s common for people to confuse Support at Home with the NDIS. While they may sound similar, they’re entirely separate programs with different eligibility rules and purposes.
Support at Home
- Designed for older Australians, generally 65 and over, or 50 and over for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
- Centred on ageing-related needs and remaining at home
- Covers clinical care, personal support, and everyday assistance
NDIS
- Designed for people with a permanent and significant disability
- Available to people under 65 at the time they enter the scheme
- Centred on disability-specific support, such as therapies and equipment, rather than general aged care
If someone already receiving NDIS support grows older and their needs shift towards ageing-related care, they may have the option to transition from the NDIS into Support at Home.
How Does Support at Home Compare to Home Care Packages?
Support at Home has taken over from the Home Care Packages Program, though many aspects will feel recognisable. The key shift is towards a system that’s more flexible and easier to understand.
Notable changes include:
- A single unified program, instead of several overlapping ones
- A wider range of funding levels
- Clearly defined service categories
- Updated co-payment arrangements
Home Care Packages and Short-Term Restorative Care have effectively been folded into Support at Home.
Where the old system had four funding tiers, Support at Home now uses eight levels, allowing funding to be matched more accurately to individual needs.
Services now sit within clinical, independence, everyday living, AT-HM, and short-term pathway categories, making it clearer what your funding can be used for.
Rather than paying flat fees like the old basic daily fee, you’ll now pay co-contributions based on the type of service and your financial situation.
New rules also require greater transparency from providers. Providers are required to publish their standard pricing on My Aged Care and on their own websites, and to keep this information current, with no hidden charges.
From 1 July 2026, the government will introduce price caps, meaning providers won’t be able to charge more than the capped amount for each service.
If you were already receiving a Home Care Package, there’s no need to reapply. You’ll be automatically transitioned to Support at Home, with a letter outlining your updated budget and contribution arrangements.
How UnitingCare Community Services Can Support You
Making sense of Support at Home and how it applies to your situation can feel like a lot to take in, particularly with new rules still settling in and families juggling work, health concerns and caregiving all at once.
UnitingCare Community Services can help by:
- Breaking down Support at Home into clear, plain-English guidance, one step at a time
- Helping you get ready for your My Aged Care assessment, so you feel prepared and confident
- Working alongside you and your family to shape your goals into a workable support plan
- Coordinating your services, equipment and home modifications, so you’re not left managing it all alone
- Reviewing and adjusting your plan over time, as your needs continue to change
Our approach is centred on one thing: the right support, delivered at the right time, in the right way. You can continue living in the home you love, with dignity and safety, for as long as it’s right for you.
Get Started with Aged Care – Support at Home
If you’d like to understand more about Support at Home, UnitingCare Community Services is here to help. Call us to speak with one of our friendly team members today.
