The Australian government has introduced the Aged Care Bill 2024 to Parliament, setting the foundation for a new Aged Care Act to commence on 1st July 2025.  The population of Australians aged over 65 years is set to double in the next 40 years.  The reform aims to ensure the long-term viability of aged care services while addressing the growing needs of our ageing population.

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The new Support at Home Programme will merge the existing Home Care Package and Short-Term Restorative Care programmes, while also introducing an Assistive Technology and Home Modifications Scheme. This will provide access to home modifications and assistive technologies (up to $15,000) and an End-of-Life Pathway, offering up to $25,000 in funding for palliative care.  The Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP) will transition to the new Support at Home Programme on 1st July 2027.

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The current four levels of Home Care Packages will be expanded to eight, with maximum funding increasing from $61,400 to $78,000 per year.  Each participant’s classification and budget will be determined at assessment based on their needs.

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Existing Home Care Package clients, as well as those awaiting approval through the National Prioritisation System, will not need to be reassessed into the new classifications when the programme begins. They will receive a budget aligned with their current Home Care Package level or the level they have been approved for. If their needs change in the future, they will be reassessed into a new Support at Home classification with a higher budget.

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Services within the new Support at Home package will be categorized as either clinical care, independence, or everyday living. The government will cover all clinical care costs, while you will contribute towards independence and everyday living services based on your assets and income. The current proposal is to cap cleaning services to 52 hours per annum and 18 hours for gardening.

Programme participants will have an annual budget which will be broken into quarterly (3-monthly) budgets.  Any unspent funds of up to $1,000 dollars or 10% of the quarterly budget (whichever is greater) can be carried over each quarter.

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Please note:  

There will be a $130,000 lifetime cap on contributions to protect those who receive aged care for a long time. This is a combined cap with the non-clinical care contribution in residential aged care.

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We hope to continue to assist you to stay informed.