Support at Home: What’s Changing in Care Management?

From 1 July 2025, Australia’s aged care system is evolving with the launch of the Support at Home program. This new approach will replace the existing Home Care Packages (HCP) and Short-Term Restorative Care (STRC) programs, bringing more clarity, flexibility, and fairness to in-home aged care.

One of the biggest changes? Care management. 

What’s Changing from HCP to Support at Home?

Under the current HCP system, care management is often bundled with your package and varies from one provider to another. This can make it hard to understand what you’re paying for—and whether it’s working for you.

Support at Home introduces a more structured and transparent model:

✅ 10% of your classification budget is set aside for care management

✅ You’ll receive an individualised support plan based on a national assessment

✅ A dedicated care partner will help plan, coordinate and review your services as your needs change

This new system ensures every older Australian receives the right support to stay safe, well, and independent at home.

Self-Managing Under Support at Home: More Flexibility, More Responsibility

Support at Home gives you the option to self-manage your services—a great choice for those wanting more control. With self-management, you can:

• Choose and schedule your own support workers

• Organise invoices and payments (with your provider’s oversight)

• Take a hands-on role in coordinating your services

But it’s important to know you’ll still receive care management from your provider. Even with self-management, your registered provider is responsible for compliance, governance and service quality.

And while self-managing may seem cost-effective, many people underestimate the time and admin required—as well as the risks around safety, service standards, and eligibility.

Why Omnicare is the Smarter Choice

At Omnicare, we’re all about empowering your choice—but we also know that expert care management can make a world of difference.

Here’s how we help you get the most from your Support at Home classification:

🌟 Maximising Your Budget: Our care partners understand the system and know how to help you stretch every dollar. We prioritise what matters most to you.

🌟 Adapting to Your Changing Needs: As life changes, so should your services. We monitor your plan and adjust it as your needs evolve—something that’s easily missed when you’re self-managing.

🌟 Taking Care of the Paperwork: We handle the compliance, invoicing, worker checks and admin—so you can enjoy the confidence of knowing everything’s done properly.

🌟 A True Partner in Care: To us, care management is a relationship, not a transaction. Our care partners are your advocates, your guides, and your allies.

Final Thoughts

The Support at Home program is reshaping aged care to be more flexible, transparent, and personalised. Whether you choose to self-manage or partner closely with a provider, the system is built to give you more control and confidence.

But to truly make the most of your care plan—and to navigate the transition with ease—you need a provider who’s prepared, experienced, and focused on you.

Let us help you navigate what’s next—with care, clarity, and commitment.

📞 Have questions about your care under Support at Home? Contact Omnicare today.