About Support at Home services
You can offer a wide range of services through the Support at Home program as set out in the service list.
As a Support at Home provider, you may deliver:
- ongoing services
- short-term pathways through the:
The services you provide must align with each of the participant’s assessed needs in their support plan.
Service list
The Support at Home service list details what services you can offer.
The list has 3 categories of services:
- Clinical supports – for example, nursing care and nutrition
- Independence services – for example, personal care, respite and transport
- Everyday living services – for example, domestic assistance and home maintenance and repairs.
The service list also has examples of what cannot be delivered through Support at Home. These exclusions are not exhaustive.
The service list applies to:
- ongoing Support at Home services
- the Restorative Care Pathway
- the End-of-Life Pathway.
For products, equipment and home modifications available through the AT-HM scheme, see the AT-HM list.
Deciding what services to offer
You can choose what services and pathways you deliver – you don’t have to offer every service or all short-term pathways. You must include the services you offer in your My Aged Care Find a Provider profile.
You are required to deliver all Support at Home services to a participant through a single service delivery branch.
You must explain to each participant and document in their service agreement:
- what services and pathways you offer
- what happens if you cease delivering services or transfer participants to another provider.
For more information about offering services, refer to Chapter 10 of the Support at Home program manual.
Connecting participants with other services
Some participants may need a service that Support at Home cannot provide. They may be eligible to access that service through other government-funded aged care programs.
Participants may also look into:
- applying for services through other Commonwealth, state or local government schemes (for example, the Hearing Services Program)
- accessing government-subsidised health services through Medicare, the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme and Primary Health Networks.
You may need to help participants access the appropriate programs or schemes.
Tailoring approved services
A participant’s Notice of Decision and support plan outlines their:
- assessed needs
- approved list of services.
A care partner in your organisation must:
- work with the participant to determine the services from that approved list they wish to receive (including hours or units per month)
- document these services in their care plan and individualised budget.
Care partners should use a wellness and reablement approach to ensure services align to a participant’s goals and needs, while focusing on their individual strengths and promoting independence.
Participants can change the mix of services they access from the approved list at any time.
If a participant’s needs change, you can refer them for a Support Plan Review. An aged care assessor will review their needs, including whether they need a higher level of service.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander participants
All participants have a right to aged care services that are culturally safe, trauma aware and healing informed.
Support at Home can enable older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to age in place and stay connected with family, community and Country.
Services you can also offer include:
- support to take part in cultural activities
- access Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health practitioners and health workers.
You can get a care management supplement to support the delivery of culturally safe care to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander participants.
Some providers may offer specialised services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander participants. Indicate that you offer these services in your My Aged Care profile.
For more information, read our booklet and fact sheet for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Learn more about specialist Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander aged care services and your responsibility to support diverse needs.
We are continuing to engage with older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, communities, and providers to make sure Support at Home meets their needs.
Charging for services
You set your own prices for services. From 1 July 2026, government set price caps will apply.
Participants must contribute to the cost of everyday living and independence services. But the government pays for the full cost of clinical support. A participant’s contribution level will depend on an assessment of their income and assets.
Find out more about charging for Support at Home services.
Using third-party services
You may choose to engage a third party or associated provider to deliver some services under the single provider model. A participant can also ask to use a third-party worker under the self-management model.
You can engage third parties on a once-off or ongoing basis to meet participant needs or requests. This includes if you access assistive technology or home modifications from a third party.
Services using third parties must still be drawn from the service list and the AT-HM list.
Overseeing third-party services
You are still responsible as the registered provider to make sure any third parties meet the requirements of the Aged Care Act 2024 and Aged Care Quality Standards.
If you can’t meet these obligations with an associated provider or a third-party worker, you cannot agree to the arrangement.
For more information, refer to Chapter 9 of the Support at Home program manual.
Self-management
Some participants choose to manage parts of their care, depending on their needs, preferences, and abilities.
If a participant wants to use a third-party worker and is self-managing, you:
- still need to engage the worker to deliver services on your behalf
- remain responsible for the care and services delivered to the participant
- can charge an overhead to cover additional costs but it must be capped at 10% of the actual cost of the third-party service and included in final service price.
Learn more about using third parties when a participant self-manages.
Resources for participants
- Guide to ongoing Support at Home services booklet – My Aged Care
- Support at Home services fact sheet for participants
- Service cancellations and no shows fact sheet for participants.
Find out more
Read:
- Chapter 10 (service list and delivering services) of the Support at Home program manual
- Service list FAQs for providers.