Goals of the program
Support at Home aims to help older people stay at home for as long as possible, by:
- improving access to services, products, equipment and home modifications
- focusing on early interventions and upfront support
- providing higher levels of care for older people with complex needs
- enabling person-centred care, with older people treated as unique individuals.
Learn more about how the program works.
Eligibility
Support at Home provides coordinated services to meet the assessed ageing related care needs of eligible people over 65 years.
Exceptions to the age eligibility include people aged 50 years or older who are:
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
- homeless or at risk of homelessness.
An aged care needs assessment will determine:
- a person’s ageing related care needs and goals
- whether they are eligible for ongoing services and/or short-term supports
- what funding classification and services they are approved for
- their priority category for being allocated funding.
If you’re an older person, check whether you're eligible for government-funded aged care services on the My Aged Care website.
What services we fund
Support at Home has a defined service list, which outlines clinical supports, independence and everyday services funded under the program.
Based on an assessment, participants will have a list of approved services that align with their ageing related care needs. Participants can change the mix of services they access from their approved list at any time with their provider.
Support at Home does not fund:
- items that would usually be paid for with general income (such as groceries)
- care under other government programs, like the pharmaceutical or medical systems (such as Medicare).
Learn more about what services are offered under the program.
Person-centred approach
Support at Home delivers equitable, person-centred aged care to help older people stay at home for longer, with an emphasis on choice and control.
This approach is underpinned by provider responsibilities to participants under the Statement of Rights and the Aged Care Quality Standards.
Wellness and reablement
Support at Home aims to help participants to maximise their wellbeing, independence, autonomy and capacity by embedding wellness and reablement approaches.
Providers should treat participants as individuals, focusing on their strengths to meet their needs, goals and preferences. It is important that providers partner with older people to make decisions about their own care, including exercising dignity of risk.
Support for diverse needs
Support at Home is designed to support participants’ diverse needs by treating older people as unique individuals.
A person’s diversity may not define who they are, but it is critical that providers recognise and embrace each participant’s background and life experiences. This holistic understanding should drive how providers and aged care workers engage with participants and deliver their funded aged care services.
Differences from Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP)
The CHSP and Support at Home deliver many of the same care and services, such as cleaning, gardening, transport and allied health.
The CHSP delivers entry-level services for older people who need a small amount of help to stay at home and connected to their community. CHSP is not designed for older people with intensive or complex care needs.
If a client’s needs can no longer be supported by CHSP, they should book an aged care assessment.
Learn more about how Support at Home interacts with other aged care support programs, including the CHSP.
The CHSP will transition to Support at Home no earlier than 1 July 2027.
Find out more
Read Chapter 5 (Support at Home program overview) of the Support at Home program manual.