The Support at Home Program, Made Simple — In-Home Aged Care Across Melbourne
Australia's new Support at Home program replaced Home Care Packages on 1 November 2025. Sky Care Solutions helps older Australians in Melbourne understand their funding, choose their services and stay living safely and independently at home — from nursing and personal care to dementia, allied health and palliative support.
The Support at Home program is the Australian Government's in-home aged care system that replaced Home Care Packages and Short-Term Restorative Care on 1 November 2025. It funds three categories of support — clinical care, independence and everyday living — across 8 levels (up to $78,106 a year) so older Australians can keep living at home.
Working alongside leading Victorian health & community services
A Single, Simpler System for In-Home Aged Care
The Support at Home program is the Australian Government's reformed aged care system for people who want to stay in their own home. Launched on 1 November 2025, it replaced the Home Care Package (HCP) program and the Short-Term Restorative Care Programme. The Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP) will move across no earlier than 1 July 2027.
Built on the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety, it offers more funding levels, faster access to restorative and end-of-life care, capped prices, and a dedicated scheme for equipment and home modifications. Sky Care Solutions helps you turn that funding into real, reliable support at home in Melbourne — including specialist nursing, dementia, allied health and palliative care. Learn more about us or get in touch.
See the Full Service List
What Changed When the New Program Started?
If you had a Home Care Package, you automatically moved to Support at Home — under a "no worse-off" principle, you don't pay more than you did before.
Home Care Packages Until Nov 2025
- 4 package levels (Level 4 capped near $61,400)
- National Priority System wait list
- Provider administration & package-management fees
- Short-Term Restorative Care limited to 8 weeks
- Equipment funded from your single package budget
Support at Home From Nov 2025
- 8 ongoing levels (top level up to $78,106/yr)
- Priority tiers — High, Medium or Standard
- Capped prices, no separate admin fees
- Restorative Care Pathway extended to 16 weeks
- Separate AT-HM scheme for equipment & home mods
Who Can Access the Support at Home Program?
You may be eligible for Support at Home if you fall into one of these groups and need help to keep living independently at home:
- Australians aged 65 and over
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 50 and over
- People aged 50+ who are homeless, or at risk of homelessness
Eligibility and your funding level are decided through the Single Assessment System using the Integrated Assessment Tool (IAT). After assessment, you're given a priority rating of High, Medium or Standard, and a care plan that sets out the services you can receive.
Check Eligibility on My Aged Care
Every Service You Can Access — by Category
The Government's Support at Home service list groups every support into three contribution categories. Clinical care is fully funded; your contribution for the other two depends on your means. Here's what each category covers.
1. Clinical Care
Fully government funded · you pay $0Nursing care
Registered nurses, enrolled nurses and nursing assistants — wound care, continence (clinical) management, medication administration, skin integrity and clinical monitoring at home.
Allied health & therapy
Physiotherapy, occupational therapy, podiatry, dietetics, exercise physiology, psychology, speech pathology, social work, music therapy and counselling — in person or via telehealth.
Nutrition
Prescribed supplementary dietary products (oral and enteral) and feeding support for conditions linked to functional decline.
Care management
Care planning, service coordination, monitoring, review, advocacy and education — keeping your supports working for you.
Restorative care management
Specialist coordination for the time-limited Restorative Care Pathway, led by clinically qualified care partners.
Always free
Every clinical support above is 100% funded by the Government for all participants — there is no contribution to pay.
2. Independence
Means-tested · 5%–50%Personal care
Help with showering, dressing, grooming, mobility and eating, plus non-clinical continence support and help self-administering medication (e.g. Webster packs).
Social support & community engagement
Group and individual social support, accompanied activities, cultural support, digital literacy and help managing personal affairs.
Therapeutic services for independent living
Acupuncture, chiropractic, osteopathy, diversional therapy, art therapy and remedial massage that support social, mental and physical wellbeing.
Respite care
In-home or community respite — individual or group — giving your usual carer a break while you stay well supported.
Transport
Direct transport (driver and vehicle) or indirect transport (taxi and rideshare vouchers) to connect you with your activities and appointments.
Assistive technology & home modifications
Equipment and home changes through the AT-HM Scheme, including wrap-around services, maintenance and repair.
3. Everyday Living
Means-tested · 17.5%–80%Domestic assistance
Essential cleaning (vacuuming, mopping, dishes), laundry and ironing, and accompanied or unaccompanied shopping.
Home maintenance & repairs
Light gardening (lawn mowing, pruning, yard clearance) and minor safety repairs such as cleaning gutters, replacing lightbulbs or fixing a door handle.
Meals
Support to prepare meals in your home, plus pre-prepared meal delivery to keep nutrition simple and reliable.
Source: Australian Government Support at Home service list & health.gov.au. The services available to you are confirmed in your assessment and care plan. From 1 October 2026 personal care will be fully government funded.
Senior & Complex Care We Deliver Under Support at Home
Beyond everyday help, our Melbourne team provides the specialist in-home care older Australians often need — mapped to the right Support at Home category or pathway.
Nursing & Private Duty Nursing
Registered nurses for wound care, continence, medication and complex clinical needs — including one-on-one private duty nursing at home.
Dementia & Memory Support
Person-centred support for people living with dementia or Alzheimer's — routine, safety, communication and family support, backed by nursing and allied health.
Allied Health & Rehabilitation
Physiotherapy, occupational therapy and exercise physiology to rebuild strength and mobility — including the short-term Restorative Care Pathway.
Personal & Medication Support
Dignified help with showering, dressing, mobility and eating, plus support to safely self-administer medication and manage Webster packs.
Respite for Families & Carers
In-home and community respite that gives family carers a genuine break, while your loved one stays safe and well supported.
Palliative & End-of-Life Care
Compassionate comfort, dignity and family support in the final stage of life at home, funded through the End-of-Life Pathway (around $25,000).
Good care isn't a checklist of tasks. It's understanding what made someone's life their own — their routines, their comforts, their people — and supporting all of it, not just the medical side.
— The Sky Care Solutions Care Team, MelbourneSupport at Home Classification Levels & Budgets
After assessment you're placed on one of 8 ongoing classifications, plus access to two short-term pathways. Funding is split into four quarterly budgets (released July, October, January and April).
| Classification | Quarterly budget | Annual funding |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | $2,682.75 | $10,731 |
| Level 2 | $4,008.61 | $16,034 |
| Level 3 | $5,491.43 | $21,966 |
| Level 4 | $7,424.10 | $29,696 |
| Level 5 | $9,924.35 | $39,697 |
| Level 6 | $12,028.58 | $48,114 |
| Level 7 | $14,537.04 | $58,148 |
| Level 8 | $19,526.59 | $78,106 |
| Restorative Care Pathway | ~$6,000 for up to 16 weeks | |
| End-of-Life Pathway | ~$25,000 over 12 weeks (accessible up to 16 weeks) | |
Source: Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing. Unspent quarterly funds can roll over — up to $1,000 or 10% of your quarterly budget, whichever is greater. A lifetime cap of $130,000 applies to non-clinical care contributions.
Support at Home Contribution Rates
Your contribution depends on the service category and your means (Age Pension or Commonwealth Seniors Health Card status). Clinical care is free for everyone.
| Your status | Clinical care | Independence | Everyday living |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full pensioner | 0% | 5% | 17.5% |
| Part pensioner / CSHC holder | 0% | 5%–50%* | 17.5%–80%* |
| Self-funded retiree (no CSHC) | 0% | 50% | 80% |
*Part pensioners and CSHC holders pay within these ranges based on an income and assets assessment. A "no worse-off" principle protects people who were receiving, or approved for, a Home Care Package on 12 September 2024. Source: Department of Health, Disability and Ageing.
Assistive Technology & Home Modifications (AT-HM) Scheme
Separate from your ongoing budget, the AT-HM scheme funds the products, equipment and home changes that help you stay safe and independent — from grab rails to mobility aids.
| Funding tier | Assistive technology | Home modifications | Time to use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low | up to $500 | up to $500 | 12 months |
| Medium | up to $2,000 | up to $2,000 | 12 months |
| High | up to $15,000* | up to $15,000 | 12 months |
*Higher assistive-technology amounts may be approved with a prescription. Co-contributions may apply. Source: Department of Health, Disability and Ageing — AT-HM Scheme.
How to Access Support at Home in Melbourne
From first call to first visit — a clear path to getting funded in-home support.
Register With My Aged Care
Call My Aged Care on 1800 200 422 or apply online to start your assessment.
Get Assessed
An assessor uses the Single Assessment System to set your classification and care plan.
Choose Sky Care Solutions
Pick us as your provider. We'll build a service schedule that fits your plan and budget.
Start Your Support
Your matched support workers begin in-home care at the times that suit you.
A Melbourne Provider You Can Rely On
Sky Care Solutions delivers person-centred in-home care across Melbourne and Victoria. As an established NDIS provider and home care specialist, we bring the same quality, safety and compassion to older Australians under the Support at Home program — with a local team that turns up, listens, and treats your family like our own.
NDIS Registration No: 4050172644 · ABN 27 672 665 235Support at Home Across Melbourne & Victoria
Based in Narre Warren, we deliver in-home aged care across South-East Melbourne, greater Melbourne and regional Victoria. Contact us to check your suburb.
Support at Home Program — FAQs
Clear answers to the questions Melbourne families ask most. See our full FAQ page for more.
What is the Support at Home program? +
The Support at Home program is the Australian Government's in-home aged care system. It replaced the Home Care Package program and Short-Term Restorative Care Programme on 1 November 2025. It funds three categories of support — clinical care, independence and everyday living — across 8 ongoing levels (up to $78,106 per year) so older Australians can keep living safely and independently in their own home.
What services are included in Support at Home? +
The Government's service list groups every support into three categories:
- Clinical care — nursing, allied health and therapy, nutrition, care management and restorative care management
- Independence — personal care, social support, therapeutic services, respite, transport, and assistive technology & home modifications
- Everyday living — domestic assistance, home maintenance & repairs, and meals
Your assessment and care plan confirm which of these you can access. See the full service list above.
When did Support at Home start, and what about Home Care Packages? +
Support at Home started on 1 November 2025, replacing Home Care Packages and Short-Term Restorative Care. Existing Home Care Package recipients were automatically transferred to an equivalent Support at Home budget and, under the "no worse-off" principle, do not pay more than before. The Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP) will move across no earlier than 1 July 2027.
Who is eligible for Support at Home? +
You may be eligible if you are:
- Aged 65 or over
- An Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person aged 50 or over
- Aged 50 or over and homeless, or at risk of homelessness
Eligibility and your funding level are confirmed through an assessment under the Single Assessment System. Start by contacting My Aged Care on 1800 200 422.
Can I get dementia, nursing or palliative care under Support at Home? +
Yes. Community nursing (including private duty nursing), allied health and personal care all support people living with dementia or complex conditions. Palliative and end-of-life care at home is supported through the End-of-Life Pathway (around $25,000). Sky Care Solutions delivers all of these in Melbourne — see specialist in-home care above.
How much funding can I get under Support at Home? +
There are 8 ongoing classification levels, from about $10,731 a year (Level 1) up to $78,106 a year (Level 8). There are also two short-term pathways: a Restorative Care Pathway (around $6,000 for up to 16 weeks) and an End-of-Life Pathway (around $25,000 over 12 weeks). Your level is set by your assessment.
How much will I have to pay? +
Clinical care (such as nursing and physiotherapy) is fully funded for everyone — you pay nothing. For the Independence category, full pensioners contribute around 5%, and for Everyday Living around 17.5%. Part pensioners and Commonwealth Seniors Health Card holders pay within a means-tested range, and self-funded retirees pay the most (up to 50% for Independence and 80% for Everyday Living). A lifetime cap of $130,000 applies to non-clinical contributions.
Is personal care really becoming free? +
Yes. From 1 October 2026, the Australian Government will fully fund personal care services — including showering, dressing and continence support — for Support at Home participants who have personal care approved in their plan, with no out-of-pocket cost.
What is the AT-HM scheme? +
The Assistive Technology and Home Modifications (AT-HM) scheme provides separate funding for products, equipment and home changes that keep you safe at home — such as mobility aids, grab rails or ramps. There are three tiers each (up to $500, $2,000 or $15,000), and the funding must be used within 12 months. Co-contributions may apply.
Is Support at Home the same as moving into an aged care home? +
No. Support at Home is for older people who want to stay in their own home. Residential aged care — aged care homes — is a separate program for those who need to move into a care facility, and is funded differently. Sky Care Solutions specialises in keeping you living independently at home for as long as possible.
How do I start Support at Home with Sky Care Solutions? +
First, register and get assessed through My Aged Care (1800 200 422). Once you have a Support at Home classification and care plan, choose Sky Care Solutions as your provider. We'll design a service schedule that fits your budget and goals, match you with the right support workers, and begin care in your home. Call us on 03 7047 9499 for help at any step.
Can I switch to Sky Care Solutions from my current provider? +
Yes. Under Support at Home you have full choice and control over your provider. Contact our Melbourne team, give your current provider the notice set out in your agreement, and we'll arrange a smooth transition so there's no gap in your care. We handle most of the paperwork for you.
- Support at Home service list — health.gov.au
- Support at Home program — health.gov.au
- Support at Home & aged care homes — myagedcare.gov.au
- Single Assessment System & Integrated Assessment Tool — health.gov.au
- Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety — royalcommission.gov.au
Need Help Navigating Support at Home?
Whether you're just starting your assessment or ready to choose a provider, our Melbourne team will explain your options, your funding and your contributions — clearly, and with no pressure to commit.
We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we live and work, the Wadawurrung People, and recognise their continuing connection to the land and waterways. We pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging, and extend this to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People.