November 19, 2025The DH – Northern Health – ACA – Northern Metro team is proud to be at the forefront of major reforms in aged care, ensuring older Australians and their families are supported with compassion, expertise, and clarity during this time of transition.
Our Team Commitment
At Northern Health ACA, our dedicated multi-disciplinary team of clinicians and assessors is committed to guiding older people and their families through these changes with professionalism, empathy, and respect. We understand that reforms can feel overwhelming, but our role is to make the process as smooth and supportive as possible. An assessment can be conducted in the home, residential care facility or hospital setting.
Our team is located at the Bundoora Centre and can travel within the northern metropolitan aged care planning region. Assessors are made up of clinical and non-clinical staff from a range of disciplines. Each assessor conducts an assessment using the integrated assessment tool (IAT) in My Aged Care. This usually takes approximately 90 minutes depending on the complexity. The outcomes of the assessment are delegated by the team Delegate to ensure the information collected and documented supports the approvals under the Aged Care Act 2024.
What’s New?
Together, we are not just adapting to change – we are helping shape a stronger, fairer aged care system for the future and support clients and their families to access various aged care pathways, including residential care, transition care, end of life, restorative care, assistive technology and home modifications, and Support@Home.
Some of the key changes which Northern Health staff will benefit from knowing more about include
- New program for Support at Home (previously called Home Care Packages) which has additional levels of packages
- Restorative Care Pathway (previously known as STRCP)
- New End of Life Pathway – Up to 12 weeks additional funding
As 1 November 2025, the Support at Home Program has replaced the current Home Care Packages (HCP) and Short-Term Restorative Care (STRC), with the Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP) to follow in July 2027.
This new model introduces:
- Updated Service Classifications – clearer groupings of services tailored to care needs
- Needs-Based Funding – streamlined payments to ensure fairness and transparency
- Stronger Compliance Standards – enhanced safeguards under the new Aged Care Act 2024 and Aged Care Rules 2025
Alongside these program changes, the Aged Care Act 2024 introduces a rights-based framework and a unified assessment system. This means:
- A single assessment pathway to simplify access
- A Statement of Rights for every older person undergoing assessment
- Supported decision-making to empower individuals in their care choices
- Culturally sensitive pathways for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
Assessment responsibilities will also shift, with all hospital assessments conducted by public health sector organisations, while community assessments will be shared between public health (40%) and new private assessment organisations (60%) across each Aged Care Planning Region.
How to make a Referral
Hospital referrals: Complete the Victorian Hospital referral form and email to NorthernHealthACAreferrals@nh.org.au
Community referrals: Contact My Aged Care on 1800 200 422 or submit via www.myagedcare.gov.au
