From HomeCare to Support at Home – is anything changing?

August 2, 2022 9:08 am Published by

You may have noticed slight changes to how BallyCara refers to HomeCare. Our HomeCare Manager, Stacey Hudson, has the job title ‘Support at Home Manager’, and our assistant Support at Home Manager, Tiffany Militano, has the same terminology in her title.

These subtle changes represent the next era of change that the Australian Government is planning.

The change for HomeCare is in line with the new Royal Commission in Aged Care Quality and Safety’s (the Royal Commission’s) recommendation 35, to implement a new aged care program, and recommendation 118, to introduce a new funding model for Homecare.

Why are they making the switch to support at home? 

The changes are being made to help senior Australians remain at home for as long as possible and make it easier to navigate as needs change. There are currently several programs with different approaches regarding assessment, eligibility, service providers, funding, and fees. This can lead to different outcomes for senior Australians with the exact needs.

To make the process equitable, the Australian Government announced a commitment to establish a new Home Care system, which will be called Support at Home. The Australian Government is consulting with Senior Australians and community stakeholders to create this program.

The new term and consolidated program, Support at Home, is currently proposed to begin in July 2023 however, we are awaiting an update from the new Australian government as this timeframe does not appear to be realistic for the changes that have been proposed. The biggest change is amalgamating the three programs into the Support at Home Program:

1. Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP)

2. Home Care Packages (HCP) Program

3. Short Term Restorative Care (STRC) Programme

Please be assured, for now, that the services you receive remain as they are through the current Programs and regulations. We will keep you posted with further updates once they are available.

If you would like to read more or participate further, we provide the following link https://www.myagedcare.gov.au/news-and-updates/find-out-latest-support-home-program-design or encourage you to contact your local Federal member to ask further questions.

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This post was written by Jane Hedges

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