Support at Home

To help you maintain and improve your independence through multidisciplinary allied health services.

For products, equipment and home modifications to meet your assessed needs.

To provide dedicated funding to access services and remain at home in your last three months of life.

Support at Home offers a wide range of support so you can continue to live well at home. Based on your aged care assessment and eligibility, you will have access to an approved list of services. You will be supported to choose the mix of services you can access within your budget. You can request to change the mix of services you access from the approved list at any time with your provider, who will support you to make sure the services you receive meet your needs.

This category is fully funded by the government and covers essential medical and health services. It includes nursing (like wound care, medication management, and chronic disease support), allied health services (physiotherapy, occupational therapy, psychology, and more), continence support, and nutritional management. Clinical care ensures seniors receive the professional medical support they need to stay healthy at home.

• Nursing
• Occupational Therapy
• Restorative Care
• Continence Support
• Nutrition

These services help seniors maintain daily independence and social connections, though some costs may apply depending on income and pension status. Services include personal care (showering, dressing, toileting, and eating), social support (companionship, group outings, and technology assistance), therapeutic services (massage, acupuncture, art therapy, etc.), short-term respite care, and transport options.  Independence support helps seniors live safely and actively while remaining connected to their communities.

• Personal Care
• Respite Services
• Social Support
• Transport Services
• Home Safety Modifications

This category covers practical help to keep a home safe and functional. Services include domestic assistance (cleaning, laundry, errands), meal preparation, minor home maintenance, and gardening. It also includes funding for assistive technology (wheelchairs, walking aids, smart home devices) and home modifications (ramps, handrails, accessible bathrooms). Special programs, like restorative care and end-of-life care, provide extra support for recovery or staying at home in later stages of life.

• Domestic Assistance
• Meal Preparation
• Gardening & Home Maintenance
• Shopping

The shift from four Home Care Package levels to eight Support at Home Classifications reflects the government’s commitment to tailoring services more precisely to individual care needs. By offering more detailed tiers, the program better aligns funding and services with a person’s evolving health, mobility, and daily living challenges.

Each classification comes with a defined budget, allocated quarterly and annually, allowing recipients to access approved services tailored to their care needs.

Your Support at Home classification is determined during your aged care assessment. If you don’t spend your budget each quarter, you can carry over unspent funds of up to $1,000 or 10% (whichever is greater) to the next quarter.

Assistive technology and home modifications through the AT-HM scheme are not budgeted quarterly. If you are approved for the AT-HM scheme, you will have a funding level for a longer time.

Contributions are an essential part of the Support at Home program, but you will only pay contributions for services you receive. The Government will fully fund clinical care, such as nursing and allied health services.

Contribution rates will vary by the type of service and your income and assets. An income and asset assessment, like the age pension means test, will be used to determine your contribution rate.

There is a Single Assessment System to make it easier for older people to access aged care services.  The first step is to check your eligibility for an assessment.

To be eligible for a Support at Home assessment, you generally need to:

• Be aged 65 years or older (or 50 years or older if you’re an Aboriginal or Torres Strait
  Islander person)
• Have difficulty managing everyday tasks due to age-related factors
• Require support to remain living independently at home

These criteria are assessed through a two-part process.

• Complete an online eligibility check on the My Aged Care website CLICK HERE or call My Aged Care on 1800 200 422
• An in-person assessment where an assessor will visit your home to evaluate your needs and discuss suitable services.

When assessed as eligible for the Support at Home program, you will receive a NOTICE OF DECISION letter and an individual support plan to share with your provider.

At Bellarine Community Health we (BCH) we believe your care should reflect your choices, lifestyle and community. Our Support at Home team provides personalised, flexible service that gives you control over how your supports are designed and delivered.

Our Case Managers are all highly regarded local professionals who live and work right here on the Bellarine. With extensive experience working with older people, including those living with dementia, they understand the community and the challenges of staying independent at home.

Choosing BCH also means fast-track, priority access to our own Community Health Clinicians, including nurses, occupational therapists, podiatrists and physiotherapist – all at a discounted rate.

With our local knowledge and dedicated team, we can help you to remain in your own home for longer while keeping you healthy, active, and connected to your friends and community.

Need a hand getting started? Our friendly volunteers at the BCH Ageing Well Hub can guide you through contacting My Aged Care, explain available services and help you with the assessment process.

Drop in at our Drysdale site on Tuesdays and Thursday from 10:00 – 12.00 or make an appointment for our Portarlington site by calling 1800 007 224 or look us up online www.bch.org.au