What is Support at Home?

Also known as: SAH

Support at Home is the Australian Government program for aged care delivered in a person’s own home, replacing Home Care Packages and the Short-Term Restorative Care Programme. Older people are assessed into classification levels with a quarterly budget, and contribute to costs according to their means and the category of service.

Support at Home restructures home aged care around service categories — clinical care, independence, and everyday living — with different contribution rates applying to each. Clinical care attracts no participant contribution.

For providers, the significant operational changes are quarterly budgets rather than accruing balances, a defined service list, and means-tested contributions that must be calculated, invoiced and collected alongside the government subsidy.

Related terms

Home Care PackageA Home Care Package was the Australian Government’s coordinated home aged-care funding, allocated at one of four levels according to assessed need. Funds accrued in an individual budget managed by an approved provider. Home Care Packages are being replaced by the Support at Home program.My Aged CareMy Aged Care is the Australian Government’s entry point for aged-care services. It handles registration, screening and referral to assessment, and holds the client record that follows an older person through assessment, service allocation and provider referral. Providers receive and accept referrals through the My Aged Care provider portal.DEXThe Data Exchange is the Australian Government’s reporting platform for funded community and aged-care programs. Providers report client details, the sessions of service delivered, and optionally outcomes data, on a defined reporting period cycle. Continued funding is conditional on reporting.SIRSThe Serious Incident Response Scheme requires approved aged-care providers to manage and report serious incidents involving people receiving care. Reportable categories include unreasonable use of force, unlawful or inappropriate sexual conduct, neglect, psychological or emotional abuse, unexpected death, stealing or coercion, and unexplained absence.

Rostery handles this in practice

SCHADS interpretation, NDIS price-guide validation, claiming and the evidence an audit asks for — built for Australian providers.

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