Supporting older people to access the new Support at Home program

October 31, 2025

Ahead of the changes to the Aged Care Act commencing on 1 November, the Department of Health, Disability and Aged Care have released new resources for General Practitioners, Nurse Practitioners and Allied Health Providers to inform how they can support older people to access the new Support at Home (SaH) program.

From 1 November Support at Home will replace the current Home Care Packages (HCP) program and Short-Term Restorative Care (STRC) programme. The Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP) will transition to SaH no earlier than 1 July 2027.

More detail can be found in the guidance linked below:

Support at Home includes a new End-of-Life pathway to support participants who have been diagnosed with 3 months or less to live and wish to remain at home, by providing more funding to access in-home aged care services.

A doctor or nurse practitioner must provide an assessment for the older person to access the End-of-Life pathway. Further details about the assessment required can be found in the fact sheet linked below: 

There are online training modules available to assist health professional understanding of the Support at Home program. The below links are the modules most relevant to general practice and other primary care providers:

Further information and resources about the Support at Home program can be found at:

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