Rayleen Devenport, 82, plays cards at her local RSL twice a week. She holidays with friends and lives near her two children and five grandchildren. A mix of Support at Home services, including personal care, keeps that life going.
“Without this support it would be difficult to stay at home,” Devenport says.
Since 1 October, eligible Support at Home recipients no longer pay out-of-pocket costs for personal care. The Federal Government announced in April 2026 that the service would move from the independence category to clinical supports. It covers showering, dressing, eating, personal hygiene, non-clinical continence management and help taking medication.
Demand that was waiting
ACH Group, a South Australian not-for-profit provider, says some customers held off. CEO Linda Feldt says people told the organisation they were waiting for the reform before taking up or increasing personal care.
“Personal care is fundamental to older people’s dignity, health and wellbeing,” Feldt says.
Her concern is what delay costs. “Without support, some older people may avoid showering altogether, which can affect their physical and mental health, increasing the risk of hospitalisation.”
Feldt says the decision to fully fund personal care “removes a significant barrier to accessing support that helps people maintain their health, wellbeing and independence at home.”
ACH Group estimates customers who currently contribute will save an average of more than $800 a year. That figure is the provider’s own and covers its customers only.
The limit has moved
Free at the point of use doesn’t mean unlimited. Access still depends on personal care being approved in the support plan and on funding being available.
The harder limit may be delivery. If cost keeps people away, removing it can bring that demand forward. ACH Group’s account shows what one provider heard, but doesn’t show how demand will land across the sector.
ACH Group describes the reclassification as recognition of personal care as a critical service, and critical services need reliable capacity behind them.
What boards should ask
Two questions follow for directors:
- How many hours of personal care does the organisation deliver today, and how many could it roster next quarter?
- When requests outrun capacity, who is seen first, and on what basis?
Feldt calls showering “a significant fall risk” for older people, yet a queue for personal care carries risks of its own.
Devenport says personal care gives her “the support, safety and confidence I need to stay independent.” That confidence depends on someone turning up. Whether it holds as demand grows is the true test of this change.
