Support at Home is the Australian Government's in-home aged care program. From 1 July 2025 it replaced Home Care Packages and the Short-Term Restorative Care Programme, bringing several older funding streams into one simpler system.
What is Support at Home?
Support at Home is the Australian Government's in-home aged care program, introduced on 1 July 2025 to replace Home Care Packages and the Short-Term Restorative Care Programme.
Its purpose is the same as the programs it replaces: practical help so older Australians can keep living safely and independently in their own homes.
The name is worth taking literally. Instead of care being delivered in a facility, a trained carer comes to you. That support might be a hand with showering and dressing in the morning, help preparing meals, assistance getting to appointments, or companionship for someone who would otherwise spend long stretches alone.
How is Support at Home different from the old Home Care Packages?
The headline change is structural. Where Home Care Packages divided funding into four levels, Support at Home assesses your needs and funds a personalised care plan around them.
For many families the practical outcome is the same — government-subsidised care in your own home — but the paperwork and approval path are meant to be more straightforward.
Support at Home is assessed and arranged through My Aged Care, the same Government gateway that managed Home Care Packages. You start the same way you always have: by contacting My Aged Care to request an assessment.
Who is Support at Home for?
It is for older Australians who want to remain independent at home but need some support to do so safely.
That could be someone recovering after a hospital stay, a person whose mobility has declined, or a family noticing their parent is struggling with daily tasks.
If you are unsure whether you qualify, it is worth starting the conversation anyway. An assessment through My Aged Care is how eligibility is determined, and it costs nothing to ask.
How does Highfield Care help?
Highfield Care is an independent, family-run provider on the Sunshine Coast, delivering in-home care across Noosa Shire and the Sunshine Coast.
If you have Support at Home funding — or are transitioning from a Home Care Package — our local team can help you understand what your plan covers and put the right care in place.
We are a local team, not a national call centre. We take the time to match a carer to your personality and needs, and because we are local to Noosa and the Sunshine Coast, our carers understand the area and can respond quickly. Once you have signed with us, we can have you set up in our care-management system within 24 hours — so the funding you have starts working for you without a long wait.