Reforming in-home aged care to prioritise independence

The Australian Government is determined to improve the in-home aged care system. We want to make sure the care older people receive at home contributes to their quality of life and supports their family and community connections.

A timeframe for home care reform

We know older people in Australia want the aged care system to be improved and reforms not to be rushed at the cost of quality care.

That’s why the Australian Government is returning to the timeframe put forward by the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety to deliver a reformed and improved in-home aged care program by 1 July 2024.

No one will lose any in-home aged care services they currently have in place through the Commonwealth Home Support Programme or the Home Care Packages Program.

We’ve listened

Older people and service providers have told us the previous Support at Home model was not flexible enough for the needs of older people.

People told us it should be easier to adjust services when their circumstances change.

They raised concerns that the proposed funding model could have unintended consequences, particularly for group-based aged care services, like community transport and social support.

What we’re working on now

We are committed to delivering a reformed and improved in-home aged care program by 1 July 2024, starting with listening to the people who use and deliver the services.

With more than $9.5 billion in the 2022–23 financial year in funding for in-home care support alone, older people will see real progress well before July 2024, including:

• 40,000 additional Home Care Packages

• a cap on how much Home Care Package recipients can be charged for administration and management

• banning of Home Care Package exit fees

• improved monthly reporting statements so people receiving home care services can see where their money is going

• improved access to goods, equipment and assistive technology (GEAT) to make living at home easier

• support for aged care providers to recruit and train 13,000 new personal care workers to care for older people in their homes

• protection from preventable incidents, abuse and neglect through the extension of the Serious Incident Response Scheme to all in-home aged care providers.

Find out more at health.gov.au/in-home-aged-care-reform.

Let’s work together

We all need to work together to do everything we can to achieve a better aged care system.

We invite everyone to continue to have their say about the aged care reforms.

To sign up for engagement activities or to find out more, visit the Aged Care Engagement Hub.