From 1 November 2025, the existing Home Care Packages (HCP) and Short-Term Restorative Care (STRC) Programs will be replaced by the Support at Home Program.
These changes to aged care in Australia have been brought about as a result of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety to directly address its findings and provide a simpler and improved aged care system for our older people.
Naturally, this means that Australian aged care providers will have to make several changes to the way you operate over the coming months before this transition takes place.
To help, we’ve put together this article to explain these aged care reforms in Australia and ensure you understand exactly what you need to do to prepare your business – while also ensuring your participants and their families know what these changes mean for them.
Let’s get started.
What are the key differences between the HCP and STRC Programmes and the new Support at Home program?
The first thing to note with the Support at Home Program changes is that, while the HCP and STRC Programs currently exist alongside each other, Support at Home will bring everything together to create a single unified care platform that aligns with the new Aged Care Act 2025.
This represents a significant step forward in creating a system that’s easier for both providers and participants to navigate and access the care they need.
Here are 7 more key differences between the existing programs and the Support at Home Program due in 2025:
- There will be a whole new care classification framework: The Support at Home reforms will rely on a Single Assessment System to classify participants’ needs based on eight different levels (up from four), while also increasing the funding budgets for those most in need.
- Funding will be divided into quarterly budgets: As part of aged care funding updates, Support at Home will operate with quarterly individual budgets to allow for more flexibility in allocating funds, as well as the ability to roll over a portion of unused funds to the following quarter.
- A new prioritisation system will help reduce wait times for services: Accessing services will become easier for participants under the Support at Home Program, with priority ratings designed to decrease wait times for those who require these services most.
- All services will be subject to government-imposed price caps: The Support at Home Program will introduce a government-defined service list and capped pricing structure to help make it more equitable for aged care participants accessing these services through different providers.
- The Australian Government will now fund all clinical services for participants :Under the Support at Home Program changes and aged care funding updates, participants will no longer need to contribute out-of-pocket for any clinical services, as these will now be fully funded by the program.
- Participants will be able to access care management independently of their service provider : Through Support at Home reforms, aged care participants will be able to choose to either continue accessing care management services through their existing provider or engage an independent Support at Home care manager to help them achieve the best outcomes.
- New Restorative Care and End-of-Life Pathways will be introduced: Support at Home will introduce new short-term support pathways that may run for up to three months to provide additional assistance and care services to eligible participants.
So, what do aged care providers need to do to update their workflows in line with the Support at Home Program changes?
To continue providing aged care services, you’ll need to ensure you are compliant with the new program, as well as other reforms and changes set out in the Aged Care Act 2025.
First and foremost, it’s important to bring any new and existing care services you offer (and their pricing) into line with the standardised service list determined by the Support at Home Program.
You’ll also want to ensure that your accounting and invoicing systems allow for quarterly funding allocation and budgeting, as well as the movement of unspent funds from one quarter to another.
Finally, the way you deliver your care management services may need to be reviewed to ensure that you can meet the new standards outlined by the Aged Care Act 2025 as well.
Of course, if you’re looking for a solution to help streamline your workflows and care delivery in line with the Support at Home reform and other changes to aged care in Australia, ShiftCare is here for you.
ShiftCare is the ultimate care management platform for aged care providers
Our Support at Home software has been designed to help you deliver highly personalised client care while continuing to grow your business.
With ShiftCare, you can utilise our range of premium features to easily update your workflows to reflect the incoming changes and make compliance with aged care funding updates and the Support at Home program a breeze.
Offering endless flexibility around resourcing, care management, budgeting, invoicing and so much more, you can feel confident that you’re not only compliant, but ready to provide the best aged care service delivery to both new and existing participants through the Support at Home Program in 2025.
Ready to learn more about ShiftCare and its role in redefining Aged Care in Australia?
ShiftCare is an easy-to-use care management platform designed to streamline day-to-day operations and reduce administration burdens for NDIS providers, as well as Aged Care and Disability Support services.
Boasting powerful and intuitive features, ShiftCare offers key solutions to improving care management, rostering, HR, invoicing, NDIS compliance and so much more, enabling you and your team to focus on delivering a higher standard of personalised client care.
So, if you’re looking for the right care management solution to help take your aged care delivery to the next level, ShiftCare has got you covered.
Start free trail or get in touch with our team today to discover how ShiftCare can revolutionise your care management and give you back more time for what truly matters.
