Reforming in-home aged care to prioritise independence

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.

How is in-home aged care changing

The Australian Government is committed to delivering in-home aged care reforms that will serve the needs of all older people, their families and carers, now and into the future.

The reforms will address key concerns raised by the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety to ensure in-home aged care:

• is simple to access and understand, with one assessment process
• gives people timely access to the safe and high-quality services they need
• gives people real choice and control in determining the services they receive
• has fair and transparent fees that direct funds to delivering high quality care.

When will the reforms start?

The new Support at Home program is planned to commence from 1 July 2025.

The extra 12 months will give us time to further refine the program’s design with input from a range of experts and providers, as well as further consultation with older people to ensure their concerns and experiences are front and centre.

All existing in-home aged care services – Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP), Home Care Packages (HCP), Short-Term Restorative Care (STRC) Programme and residential respite – will continue operating as normal until 30 June 2025.

We are establishing a single assessment system from 1 July 2024 that will simplify and improve access to aged care services for older people.

What we’re working on now

In the lead up to 1 July 2025, we will continue design and implementation preparation through:

• the new Aged Care Taskforce, who will provide independent advice on a range of design details, including the service list
• a pricing study to be conducted by the Independent Health and Aged Care Pricing Authority (IHACPA) to determine fair and efficient prices for in-home aged care
• a study to develop an inclusions list for assistive technology and home modifications and advise on the assistive technology needs of people with progressive conditions
• a trial of an assistive technology loans program in partnership with states and territories
• a study into the provision of higher levels of in-home aged care to support people to remain independent in their own homes for longer.

More information is available on the department’s website.

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.

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