Changes to in-home aged care: The new Support at Home program starts 1 July 2025
The Australian Government is reforming in-home aged care to help older people live independently at home for longer.
The new Support at Home program will improve access to services, products, equipment and home modifications to help older people remain healthy, active and socially connected to their communities.
Important details before the launch of the Support at Home program
Support at Home will replace both the Home Care Packages (HCP) and Short-Term Restorative Care (STRC) programs on 1 July 2025.
The Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP) will transition to the new Support at Home program no earlier than 1 July 2027.
Existing in-home aged care programs will continue operating as normal until they transition into the new program.
The Department of Health and Aged Care will work with providers to ensure you are well-prepared to transition your organisation and your clients to Support at Home on 1 July 2025.
View more information on the Support at Home program on the Department of Health and Aged Care website.
About the Support at Home program
Support at Home aims to provide participants with better access to services, products, equipment and home modifications to help them remain healthy, active and socially connected.
Support at Home includes:
more funding levels for complex needs
better access to assessment and reassessments as a participant’s needs change
the Restorative Care Pathway, to maintain and improve consumer independence through allied health services
the Assistive Technology and Home Modifications Scheme for access to products, equipment and home modifications to meet participants’ assessed needs
the End-of-Life Pathway, with extra funding to support older people to stay at home in their last 3 months of life.
View all the features of the new Support at Home program.
In-home aged care for First Nations peoples
To ensure that older First Nations peoples can access culturally safe, trauma-aware and healing-informed aged care in or close to their community, Support at Home will be responsive to the diverse and changing needs of older First Nations peoples through:
including culturally safe care services on the service list, such as assistance to participate in cultural activities and access to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health practitioners and health workers
providing a supplement for extra hours of care management to providers that support older First Nations participants.
First Nations people and their families and carers can view or download this free information booklet about the Support at Home program:
Support for aged care providers
For questions and more information about the Support at Home program, please email sah.implementation@health.gov.au.