Provider insight: Govt answers your Support at Home questions

Home care providers have seen some of their burning Support at Home questions answered with the Department of Health and Aged Care releasing a Frequently Asked Questions factsheet from a webinar held in late 2023.

The information provided covers various topics including the key dates for Support at Home, the new classification system and funding set-up, and what changes short-term supports will experience.

Key points

• Support at Home will replace Home Care Packages (HCP) and Short-Term Restorative Care (STRC) from July 1 2025, followed by the Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP) at a date no earlier than July 1 2027
• The new single assessment system will refer older people to all existing aged care services from July 1 2024, but from July 1 2025 people with higher-level needs will be approved for Support at Home
• There is no need for existing HCP clients to be re-assessed for Support at Home, although CHSP clients will need to be re-assessed if their needs change

Classifications and budgets

The Department revealed it’s finalising the number of classes in its new funding classification system for Support at Home. The framework improves on the current four package levels available through HCPs. As a point of reference, there are 13 classes of care funding for residential aged care/AN-ACC.

One of the most impactful changes with Support at Home is where funding is directed. Each participant will receive a quarterly budget corresponding to their funding class, and with the help of their assessor, will determine what set of services should be accessed with their budget. 

Care management

Appropriate care management services will be included in Support at Home to ensure participants have an appropriate understanding of how the system works. This includes: 

• Care planning
• Service coordination and monitoring
• Review and evaluation
• Support and education

Care management services will be included in each participant’s budget and it will be assigned to their provider. Additional Government funding is available for providers supporting older people with diverse backgrounds and experiences, including First Nations older people and people experiencing homelessness.

Participants can choose to self-manage their funding and activities in a similar set-up to HCPs.

Ongoing services

The Department will provide a service list outlining all ongoing services available under Support at Home, which is likely to include:

• Clinical services, like nursing and allied health
• Help with activities, like participating in their community, personal care, meals, transport, cleaning, social support and home maintenance
• Respite services for carers to have a break

Participants are expected to use their personal income for out-of-scope services not listed. 

There will be increased flexibility when choosing services, although there is a strong focus on clinical support. For example, while cleaning and gardening services are available under Support at Home, they will be capped at a set amount per quarter. Access to short-term supports (assistive technology, home modifications) and the Restorative Care Pathway will be funded separately.

Although Support at Home will become a multiple-provider model once it is fully implemented from 2027, a single provider will manage and deliver all services to a participant from July 1 2025. Therefore, providers will need to subcontract any services they cannot directly provide.

Short-term supports

The Restorative Care Pathway will replace the STRC Programme, giving eligible participants access to up to 12 weeks of support (compared to eight currently) focussed on allied health to regain function and build strength and capabilities. A specific provider may be required to provide those services.

In addition, there are other important changes to short-term supports, including:

• A Support at Home End-of-Life Pathway operating alongside existing state-based health and specialist palliative care services
• A new Assistant Technology and Home Modification (AT-HM) Scheme from July 1 2025 will have a detailed list of included and excluded items for eligible participants
• AT-HM will be funded separately from other ongoing services and Support at Home providers will be responsible for arranging and sourcing required assistive technology and home modifications 
• Access and approval for low-cost equipment come through the single assessment system while allied health professionals must provide a prescription for complex items
• Older people with a disability who are ineligible for the NDIS can access support through AT-HM

Provider arrangements

Aged care providers must be registered under the new regulatory model for aged care to be an approved Support at Home Provider, and the Government and the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission will work with you during this transitional period.

As for pricing and funding arrangements, there will be price caps for services based on Independent Health and Aged Care Pricing Authority (IHACPA) advice covering the full cost of delivering a service. Providers will invoice and claim a subsidy from Services Australia under similar payment arrangements to HCPs and this can be done monthly or more frequently.

Providers in rural and remote areas will be among those who can access long-term supplementary grants where fee-for-service payments do not cover high operating costs.

For more information and the full list of questions and answers, visit the Department of Health and Aged Care’s website.