Your Guide to Home Care Packages

There are numerous programs to support older people in Australia at present, and the government is currently reforming Home Care with an anticipated change taking effect in July 2025. The Support at Home Program is being designed to provide a single aged care system in Australia. 

Current Program Structure

The two main programs are the Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP) and the Home Care Package program (HCP) and the two programs work very differently in their design. 

CHSP approves older people for services they require and is the entry level service for people with low level needs. For example, you may currently access CHSP for domestic assistance, transport services, meals and food services, allied health and / or clinical services. You are approved for each individual service type to assist you. 

The Home Care Package program is designed to support individuals to live independently in their own home for as long as it is safe and appropriate to do so and there are currently four levels of Home Care Package. See our My Aged Care page for information on the different amount of funding for each level. 

Unlike CHSP, HCP's provide an amount of funding to be spent across a 12 month period. What is funded should be linked to the needs identified in your Comprehensive Assessment. For more information on the process, see our My Aged Care page for how this works. It is your provider's responsibility to work alongside you to identify and put in place the services, equipment and other assistive technologies to support you appropriately, which can be reviewed at any time due to your changing needs. 

Documentation

When commencing a HCP with a provider, you should receive the following:

• Home Care Agreement - this sets out the terms and conditions for providing your services.
• Charter of Aged Care Rights - this may be included in your Home Care Agreement or sit separately.
• Home Care Budget - this details the costs for the services, including any Care and Package Management fees, and the income, including any Basic Daily Care Fee and / or Income Tested Care Fee. 
• Care Plan - this details how the agreed services etc will be provided, and should also detail the goal associated. This combined should demonstrate how your needs will be met. 

Supplements

In some circumstances and to assist with the cost of delivering services to meet specific needs, a supplement may be payable. The main supplements are:

• Dementia & Cognition Supplement 
• Enteral Feeding Supplement
• Oxygen Supplement

You can read more about supplements on the Department's website. 

Leave

There are instances where services cannot be provided, and this is typically due to someone taking leave from their HCP. The different leave types are:

• Social Leave - when you are away from your home. 
• Respite Leave - when you are in residential respite for a period of time. 
• Hospital Leave - when you are admitted to hospital for any reason. 
• Transition Care Leave - when you are being supported by the Transition Care Program for a period of time to rehabilitate after a hospital admission (this may be delivered in your home or in a residential setting). 

During leave being taken, your provider must place your HCP on hold and reflect this leave through Services Australia. Whilst you are on leave services cannot be provided. If you pay a Basic Daily Care Fee and / or Income Tested Care Fee, these remain payable during this time. If your leave is extended, the amount paid may reduce. 

Home Care Package Statements

Providers are required to supply a Home Care Package statement on a monthly basis. This can only occur once the claiming has been finalised with funds received and accounted for, enabling all transactions to be reflected on your statement. See our Home Care Package Statement page for more information. 

Program Design & Oversight

The Home Care Package program is overseen by The Department of Health, who manage and develop policy for the program. The Department also:

• reviews the program to ensure it continues to meet the needs of older people.
• carry out reforms to the program.

Services Australia is responsible for:

• administering payments to providers on behalf of the Department. 
• periodically reviewing and adjusting fees, subsidies and supplement rates
• providing online claiming services for providers.

The Aged Care Quality & Safety Commission is responsible for:

• assessing and monitoring home care services to make sure they meet quality standards
• resolving any escalated and / or submitted complaints made about the services.

Additional Information

The Department of Health & Aged Care developed a set of guidelines that providers must follow and to support them in achieving quality services. A complimentary manual for Home Care Package recipients was also developed and can be dowloaded below.