St Louis Home Care
Support at Home program
St Louis Home Care
Support at Home program
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Support at home overview
The Support at Home Program is Australia’s new in-home aged care system, launching 1 November 2025. It is designed to make it easier for older people to get the help they need to live independently at home. Support at Home will replace the current Home Care Packages (HCP) program (as well as Short-Term Restorative Care) with a single integrated program. This means instead of different programs with different rules, there will be one streamlined program for all ongoing home care needs.
The government is reforming aged care to provide better access, more flexibility and fairer funding for seniors. Under Support at Home, you’ll see improvements like more funding levels, a defined service list and stronger protections around fees and quality. The aim is to help you live safely, actively and socially connected at home for as long as possible.
We have been preparing for Support at Home for over a year, training our staff and updating our systems, We’re confident that this new program will benefit you with more choices and easier access to the support you need.
What’s changing?
8 funding levels instead of 4
Under Home Care Packages, funding was grouped into 4 levels. Support at Home expands this to 8 levels for funding classifications. This means your care funding can be more finely matched to your needs, increasing gradually if your needs grow, rather than jumping in large steps.
The highest levels of support will also increase, allowing for more complex care to be delivered at home. If your needs change in the future, you can be re-assessed and move to a higher level of support. This may help you continue living independently at home for longer.
Quarterly budgets (with rollover)
Instead of an annual budget, your funding will be allocated quarterly (every 3 months). This helps with cash flow and planning, ensuring services are delivered evenly. Importantly, you won’t “lose” unspent funds each quarter, you can carry over up to 10% (or $1,000, whichever is higher) of your budget into the next quarter. This flexibility means if you skip some services one quarter, you can use the saved funds later for extra help when needed.
Three service categories
All support services will be grouped into three simple categories:
Clinical Supports – health-related care like nursing, allied health, medication management
Independence Supports – personal care, transport, social support, respite, support with self-administration of medications, things that help you stay active and engaged
Everyday Living Supports– domestic assistance like cleaning, gardening, cooking, home maintenance
This clear service list makes it easier to understand what can be funded. You’ll be able to choose the mix of services you need from these categories (within your budget) and adjust that mix over time. St Louis provides a full range of services – everything from nursing care to help around the house.
New short-term support programs
In addition to ongoing services, Support at Home includes two targeted short-term supports:
Restorative Care Pathway
The Restorative Care Pathway is an approach to care that focuses on early intervention through intensive clinical care, support and monitoring. The aim of this is to maintain or regain function and to reduce or prevent functional decline.
Clinical services (allied health and nursing) are central to restorative care outcomes and play a key role in maintaining and improving health, function and wellbeing.
Restorative care provides a short-term period of care of up to 16 weeks. Restorative care management activities may be intensive and involve assessing the progress of a client on a weekly or more regular basis.
Participants will receive coordinated allied health and/or nursing services to help them achieve their goals, stay at home for longer and delay entry into higher levels of care.
End-of-life Care Pathway
Dedicated funding and services will be allocated to support you to remain at home in your final months, if that is your wish. This pathway offers up to roughly 3 months of palliative care support with an additional budget (approximately $25,000 for the period).
It can fund things like specialist nursing, personal care, respite for family, and comfort measures for quality of life. St Louis has deep experience in compassionate end-of-life care, so if the time comes, we can help you spend your final weeks in the comfort of home, with loved ones and with full support.
What to expect during the transition
There are a few administrative changes and enhancements you will notice as we transition:
New service agreement
Because this is a new government program, we will ask you to sign a variation to your agreement with St Louis Home Care to transition you from Home Care Packages to Support At Home Program terms. Your Care Partner will be available to discuss it with you and make sure you understand everything before you sign.
Updated pricing information
We’ll provide you with updated pricing details for services under Support at Home. This is because the way prices are presented will change. St Louis is committed to transparency and we will clearly outline the cost of each service, with no surprises, just like we do today. If some prices for services change slightly, we will explain why. Remember, if you’re a full pensioner, you will not pay anything out of pocket, that remains true under Support at Home. For others, any fees will be capped by the government’s rules.
Income assessment for new contributions
If you currently pay an Income-Tested Fee (ITF) for your Home Care Package, that system is being replaced by the new co-contribution model. Services Australia will send you a letter around mid-2025 with your assessed Support at Home contribution rate. This is determined similarly to how the ITF was (based on your income/assets). If your financial situation hasn’t changed, your contribution will likely be in line with what you pay now or less.
If you are a grandfathered client and pay no fees, you will continue to pay nothing, you are grandfathered into a zero-fee status. If you currently do pay a fee, you will pay the same or less under Support at Home. The government’s “no worse off principle” ensures this. We can assist with any forms or questions about the assessment. If you’re worried about affordability at any point, remember there are hardship provisions available; no one will be denied care if they truly can’t afford contributions.
Improved statements
After the switch, you’ll continue to receive monthly statements detailing your budget, services delivered and any contributions. These statements may look a bit different but will still clearly show what services you got and what was spent. Transparency remains a priority.
Name change in My Aged Care
If you use the My Aged Care online portal or have an appointee who does, you’ll see your “Home Care Package” entry change to a “Support at Home services” entry after Nov 1. It will list your classification level and approved services instead of a package level.
Overall, the transition is being handled so that it feels seamless for you. The focus is on continuity of care. St Louis will do the heavy lifting behind the scenes, from updating care plans and agreements to liaising with My Aged Care, so that you can continue enjoying life and receiving care without hassle.
The Commonwealth’s “No Worse Off” Guarantee
For those who are existing home care clients (HCP) transitioning into Support at Home, you are referred to as grandfathered participants. The Commonwealth guarantees that grandfathered clients will not be worse off under Support at Home.
If you were approved for or receiving a Home Care Package on 12 Sept 2024, the “no worse off” principle applies to you. This means your contribution rates under Support at Home are adjusted so that you pay no more than you would have under the old HCP scheme.
This means your out-of-pocket costs will not increase beyond what you currently pay. If you’re a full pensioner paying nothing now, you will continue paying nothing. If you’re paying a part-fee now, your rate under the new program will be the same or less.
Your service hours will not decrease. The support you get now will continue at the same level; the funding you have will be equivalent.
Free clinical care remains free
Just as under HCP you didn’t pay for nursing, under Support at Home all clinical and health-related services are fully government funded, you will not be asked to pay for nursing visits, allied health sessions, etc., reinforcing that essential healthcare in your home is a right, not a cost to you.
If for any reason your circumstances change or you need a higher level of support, St Louis can help guide you to get re-assessed so you can access more funding. The new program allows more gradations, so we can push for an increase before things reach a crisis.
Transparency and Support
St Louis believes in clear communication about fees. Here’s how we handle it to make your life easy:
Upfront quote
When you join (or when the new program starts for current clients), we will give you a personalised budget. We’ll show you how we calculated it, and we’ll provide the official source for those rates if you’re interested. This way, you know what to expect.
No billing surprises
We will send you monthly invoices/statements for any contributions. These will list each service and how much was subsidy vs your part. It will be similar to how utility bills itemise usage.
Fair pricing
We set our service prices reasonably, and all providers’ standard prices will be published on My Aged Care for transparency. By July 2026, official price caps will be in place, and we will of course adhere to those or below. This means even your portion of a service will be inherently capped.
Annual and Lifetime Caps
There is also an annual cap on how much you can be asked to contribute. We track your contributions and will alert you if you ever approach an annual cap.
Financial Hardship Help
If, for any reason, you find it difficult to pay the required contributions, please talk to us. The government has a financial hardship assistance scheme. If approved, they can reduce or waive fees in cases of genuine hardship. We can help you apply for hardship relief by assisting with the form (Aged Care Financial Hardship form SA462).
No Lock-In or Penalties
Remember, you are free to change providers. There are no exit fees or lock-in contracts in home care anymore.
Why Choose St Louis Home Care?
At St Louis Home Care, our mission is to empower you to live your best life at home. We understand that maintaining independence is important, and we are dedicated to supporting you every step of the way.
Our approach is centred around you—your needs, your preferences, and your goals. We take the time to listen and understand what matters most to you, ensuring that our care is tailored to enhance your quality of life.
We pride ourselves on building strong relationships with our clients and their families. Our caring and compassionate team works diligently to create a supportive environment where you feel valued and respected. We believe that everyone deserves to enjoy their later years with dignity and joy.
As your trusted partner in home care, we are committed to making a positive difference in your life. Together, we can create a nurturing and fulfilling home care experience that allows you to thrive.
Support at Home
We prioritise your independence, safety, well-being, family, community connections and quality of life at home.
My Care and Support
We collaborate with you and tailor your support choices to live at home for longer.
Person Centred Support
We foster a safe kind environment with trust and mutual respect. We value the culture, diversity and preference of every person.
Community Support
We find local staff with knowledge of your local area to ensure you are connected to the community and surroundings
Control of my care plan budget
We work with you and understand the importance of you having control of your service and care plan and budget.
We recognise you.
Your unique background and contributions enable us to empower you in all aspects of your support.
We value your feedback
You are at the centre of everything we do together. If you have any suggestions, comments, or feedback, we would love to hear from you.