In-Home Aged Care Service List Survey outcomes
The new in-home aged care program starting July 2024 is expected to use a service list to let Older people, their families and carers, and providers know which services may be provided in the program. Services included in the service list would be available to Older people at a Commonwealth Government subsidised cost.
Between April and May 2022, more than 1,700 Older people, their informal carers and families, providers and professionals completed an online survey asking what kinds of services should be included in the program.
Thank you to all who completed the survey.
What we heard
Overall, survey respondents were happy with the inclusions of the service list.
Survey respondents:
- ranked services by importance (e.g. house cleaning, personal care)
- listed services they felt should be excluded in some circumstances (e.g. home repairs, gardening)
- suggested services they felt were missing from the list (e.g. spiritual care, bereavement counselling)
- provided feedback using free-text fields.
Some of the recommendations we received about the service list and other aspects of the new program design include:
Clarity – providers, Older people and informal carers want clear guidance on what can be included in in-home aged care services and who can deliver the services.
Reassurance – Older people and their carers do not want to receive fewer services and less funding under the new program. Providers and professionals want assurance their business costs will be covered despite the change to efficient (fixed) service pricing.
Transition guidance – providers told us that they need ongoing support, resource material and educational tools for the workforce and care recipients to transition to the new program.
Service Categories – providers told us removing the categories (e.g. Independence at Home, Health and Specialised Support) and instead having the service types (e.g. personal care, nursing) as the highest level of categorisation would support flexibility and choice.
What we’re doing
We are continuing to develop and design the new in‑home aged care program. The survey feedback will help inform the service list and other aspect of service design (e.g. pricing, worker qualifications).
A paper detailing the outcomes can be found on the reforming in-home aged care page on the department’s website.
To receive updates and information on future consultation activities please sign up to the department’s engagement hub and keep an eye on current activities.
Let's change aged care, together
Every Australian should feel confident about accessing high quality and safe aged care, when and where they need it.
The changes mean Older people will have greater choice and control, services that respect and meet their needs, and support to stay independent as they age.
To find out more and help design the changes, visit the Get Involved page or call 1800 318 209.