Care management under Support at Home: What it is and how it works

Care management under Support at Home is the help a care partner gives you to plan, arrange, and review your aged care. Your provider supplies the care partner, and the cost comes out of your existing budget.

Support at Home replaced Home Care Packages on 1 November 2025. Every provider must now deliver care management to everyone on the program.

What is home care management?

Home care management under Support at Home is the planning, organising, and reviewing of your care at home. My Aged Care says a care partner from your provider does this work. Care management can include the activities below:

• Care planning: Making and updating your care plan and budget around your goals
• Service choices: Helping you pick the right mix of services for your budget
• Organising care: Working with workers, providers, and supporters so your care runs smoothly
• Monitoring: Checking that your services meet your needs and spotting risks
• Reviews: Updating your care plan when your needs or situation change
• Information and referrals: Helping you make choices and find other programs

Your provider must deliver at least one direct care management activity every month. Direct means speaking, communicating, or meeting with you or your supporter, even if you self-manage parts of your care. You and your provider should review your care plan every 12 months, says My Aged Care.

What is the Support at Home program?

Support at Home is the Australian Government's in-home aged care program. The Department of Health, Disability and Ageing says the program replaced Home Care Packages on 1 November 2025. Support at Home services fall into the groups below:

1. Clinical supports: Nursing care, occupational therapy, podiatry, and personal care
2. Independence: Transport, respite care, and remedial massage
3. Everyday living: Cleaning, gardening, shopping, and meal preparation

Support at Home also offers three short-term pathways:

1. The Restorative Care Pathway
2. The Assistive Technology and Home Modifications scheme
3. The End-of-Life Pathway

The Australian Government fully funds clinical supports, so they cost you nothing. Since 1 October 2026, approved personal care, such as showering and dressing, has no contribution if you have funds available. You may pay a share of other services, based on your income and assets.

The Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP) is a separate entry-level program that stays outside Support at Home for now. Its grant funding now runs to 30 June 2029.

How is care management funded under Support at Home?

Under Support at Home, 10% of your ongoing quarterly budget pays for care management, and the other 90% pays for your direct services. Each quarter, this money goes into a shared care management account for your provider, held by Services Australia. Your provider claims from that account for the care management it delivers.

You pay nothing extra for care management under Support at Home. The Department's funding guidance counts care management as a clinical support. The table below sums up the rules for care management.

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The Restorative Care and End-of-Life Pathways use a different funding rule. Providers claim care management costs from your pathway budget, not the shared care management account.

Who is eligible for home care support?

Older people with care needs are eligible for Support at Home once an aged care assessment approves them. Most people must be 65 or over to qualify for an assessment, says the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. The age is 50 for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and for people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.

You apply for an assessment through My Aged Care, online, by phone, or in person. Since 9 December 2024, assessors from the Single Assessment System have done all aged care assessments. They replaced Aged Care Assessment Teams (ACATs) and the Regional Assessment Service.

What does a care partner do?

In Support at Home, a care partner is the staff member at your provider who helps you choose, receive, and manage your services. Department guidance lists four areas of activity, shown below.

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Care partners hold regular care discussions with you to review your service agreement, care plan, and budget. They often act as the link between your provider, you, and your supporters.

What qualifications does a care partner need?

Care partners need no mandatory qualifications or registrations. They're trained aged care workers with relevant experience. On the Restorative Care Pathway, a care partner must hold relevant health qualifications.

A clinically qualified care partner has a university-level health qualification. For instance, a nursing or physiotherapy degree. Providers may use them to support people with more complex needs.

What is the difference between care management and provider admin?

Care management is direct support for you, while admin covers business tasks like rosters and claims. Providers can't claim rostering, staff travel or training, compliance, or HR work as care management. The table below compares the two.

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Providers build admin costs into service prices, says the service list. They must also publish their prices on their own website and My Aged Care. Your service agreement must be in place before, or on the day, services begin.

Advocacy is part of care management, so your care partner can speak up for you. For independent advocacy, call the Aged Care Advocacy Line on 1800 700 600.

When should you ask for a care plan review?

You can ask your provider for a care plan review whenever your needs, services, or situation change. Don't wait for the 12-month review if something big happens. Reasons to ask for a review fall into three groups:

• Your needs change: Examples include a fall, a hospital stay, or a new diagnosis
• Your services change: Examples include a service that no longer suits you or a worker who leaves
• Your situation changes: Examples include a family carer who can help less, or a move to a new home

Your provider will review your care plan and see what more it can do. For bigger changes, your provider contacts your assessor, who may update your support plan or decide you need a reassessment. You can also call My Aged Care on 1800 200 422 for a support plan review.

FAQ

Does care management cost extra on top of my Support at Home funding?

You pay nothing extra for the cost of care management. The government takes 10% of your ongoing quarterly budget to pay for it, leaving 90% for services. The Department's published classification amounts already include the 10% for care management.

Can I change my Support at Home provider?

You have the right to change providers when your needs or wishes change. Once you find a new provider, call My Aged Care to reactivate your referral code. Your new provider then signs a service agreement with you and assigns your care partner.

What is the difference between the CHSP and Support at Home?

The Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP) gives entry-level help, while Support at Home covers ongoing care. Your aged care assessment decides which program fits. 

Getting care management support with Haisey Home Care

At Haisey Home Care, we believe good care management keeps your care on track. Knowing what your care partner does and what the 10% pays for helps you ask better questions.

Every Haisey Home Care client has a dedicated care partner. Book a free in-home consultation or contact us to talk through your options.

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