October 31, 2025The Australian Government is reforming in-home aged care to help older persons live independently at home for longer.
These changes stem from the recommendations made from the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety and include
- A rights-based approach to providing care to older persons;
- Enhancing quality and safety standards with the Strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards;
- Greater choice and control for older persons to make decisions about their life and the services they receive; and
- Stronger advocacy and complaints processes with increased protection for whistleblowers.
From November 1 2025, current in-home aged care services will form a single program called Support at Home. It will replace Home Care Packages (HCP) and Short-Term Restorative Care (STRC) programs from this date, with Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP) being combined no earlier than July 1 2027.
As a result of these changes, Northern Health Home Care Packages will now be known as Northern Health Support at Home. Their experienced Health professional Case Managers will know be known as Clinical Care partners.
The Support at Home program will improve access to services, equipment and home modifications to enable older people to remain healthy, active and connected to their communities.
Support at Home includes:
- Better access to assessment and reassessments as older persons needs change
- More funding levels available for complex needs
- The Restorative Care Pathway, to maintain and improve older persons independence through allied health services and support of up to 12 weeks.
- The Assistive Technology and Home Modifications Scheme for access to equipment and home modifications to meet older persons assessed needs.
- The End-of-Life Pathway, with extra funding to support older persons to stay at home in their last three months of life.
“This is a once in a generation reform, which will improve the quality of support for older people wanting to remain at home,” said Julie Williams, Northern Health Support at Home Program Manager.
The Support at Home team in Hospitals Without Walls Division at Northern Health have been working hard to ensure this transition is seamless for older persons receiving services under this program.
