Changes to in-home aged care

A major in-home aged care reform, called 'Support at Home', is set to be rolled out from July 2024. You may have seen this reform in the news, as it’s been in the works for some time.

At Feros Care, we’ve been preparing for the changes, and look forward to seeing our clients reap the rewards of the new system.

What you need to know about the reform

The consultation process continues; however, key information on the reform so far indicates the following changes are being considered:

• Clients already receiving services will not lose these under the new program.
• The new program will see clients having an assessment at home or in hospital, then an independent assessor will meet with a client to jointly set an initial support plan, with a quarterly budget plus a 25% funding pool for additional requirements that occur.
• Clients can either access short-term support for independence or ongoing supports at home.
• Short-term support includes goods, assistive technology, home modifications, short-term allied health and specialised support services – including equipment loan schemes.
• Goods and equipment funding will be separate to home care funding.
• Ongoing support can be with one provider or multiple, and services can be adjusted within the quarterly budget. Any unspent funds will be returned to the government and not retained by the client for future use.
• Client contributions will likely be set by capacity to pay.
• The ongoing support includes clinical care partners for those who need help to manage their plans, access to extra services for temporary needs, and regular reports on services and budget.
• There is a recommendation for a flexible model for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Key reform documents

The Department of Health and Aged Care have now released the 2023 Engagement Calendar for the new in-home aged care program. It goes through a list of planned activities, such as consultations with key groups, prototype trials and a webinar.

The most relevant for older Australians will be a reform webinar scheduled in for June 2023, where the government will likely release more information on the changes to come.

View 2023 Engagement Calendar

In December 2022, the Department released the Older Australian Fact Sheet No.1 – the first in a series to help prepare older Australians who are supported by Commonwealth funded in-home aged care services, their families and carers to transition to the new program.

Download fact sheet

The Department also released a discussion paper in October 2022, which outlines the issues raised, the areas of focus for process design, and an indicative model of what the new program could look like.

Read in-home aged care discussion paper

Where can I have my say?

Older Australians can get involved with the consultations by emailing sah.implementation@health.gov.au.

Where can I stay up to date about the reform?

Regular newsletters and factsheets will be published this year to provide information, progress updates and transition processes for older Australians. Sign up for the Feros Scoop newsletter for updates as we receive them.

If you’re a client, we communicate all key updates through our free web portal and hub, MyFeros. For help and instructions on how to sign up, click here: myferos.com.au/help