Support at Home (SaH) program

If you’ve more complex care needs, which go beyond what the Commonwealth Home Support Program can provide, the Support at Home program can offer a coordinated approach to the delivery of affordable in-home care for many everyday tasks or when the care you need is more complex or intensive.

Image of an older couple gardening showing one aspect of assistance Support at Home can provide

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What is SaH?

It’s about you continuing to live safely and freely in your home so you can continue enjoying your independence and doing more of what you love.

Services you’ll be able to access are determined by a My Aged Care Assessor and will depend on your My Aged Care Notice of Decision and the level of funding you’re eligible to receive.

As your Care Partner, WDHS will then work with you to develop your individual care plan that continues to support your individual needs and goals.

Support at Home has 8 ongoing service classifications with increasing levels of funding to provide varying levels of care to a broad spectrum of older people with assessed needs.

Support at Home program 8 ongoing service classifications

These classifications are grouped into three categories:

Category 1: Clinical supports – such as nursing care, occupational therapy and physiotherapy

Category 2: Independence – such as personal care, social support, respite care, community engagement and transport

Category 3: Everyday living – such as domestic assistance, home maintenance and repairs, and meals

Support at Home also has 3 short-term support classifications:

  • The Restorative Care Pathway to regain or maintain independence.
  • The End-of-Life Pathway to support older people who have 3 months or less to live and wish to remain at home.
  • The Assistive Technology and Home Modifications (AT-HM) scheme for older people with an assessed need for equipment, products and home modifications.

We invite you to contact us for a copy of the new WDHS Support at Home Program Guide for further information about these care services. WDHS is guided by the Statement of Rights that underpin the Support at Home program and apply wellness and reablement approaches.

For transitioning Home Care Package (HCP) care recipients who have not been reassessed under Support at Home there are an additional 4 classifications which reflect the level of funding previously provided under the HCP program.

Home Care Packages Classification Levels converted to Support at Home classifications and their quarterly and annual budget amounts

Accessing the Support at Home program

If you are new to aged care services your first step towards accessing Support at Home (SaH) is to apply directly to My Aged Care. You will be required to answer a series of questions about your situation and needs to determine your pathway to aged care services. You can do this by:

  • Visiting My Aged Care at anytime or call 1800 200 422, Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM – 8:00 PM, and Saturday, 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
  • Using the Apply for an Assessment Online form on the My Aged Care website
  • Obtaining a referral from your GP, health professional or hospital
  • Booking an appointment with a Services Australia Aged Care Specialist Officer (ACSO)

Existing Home Care Package recipients

If you currently receive a Home Care Package you will automatically be transitioned to Support at Home on 1 November 2025, with your budget matching the existing Home Care Package level (including supplements). Your previous annual package amount will now be divided into four to create a Support at Home quarterly budget.

Any unspent funds from your current Home Care Package will transfer in full to your new Support at Home budget. These transferred funds can be used for eligible services, assistive technology, or home modifications.

Once you have moved to Support at Home, the amount of unspent funds you can carry over each quarter will be limited. The cap will be the greater of either 10% of your quarterly budget or $1,000.

There are 4 classifications for transitioned HCP recipients who have not been reassessed under Support at Home. These classifications reflect the level of funding previously provided under the HCP Program.

WDHS Aged Care

We’re a trusted, accredited Provider dedicated to delivering a high level of care and support services if you’re living in Hamilton, Coleraine, Casterton, Balmoral, Dartmoor, Merino, Portland, Heywood, Branxholme, Macarthur, Penshurst, Dunkeld, Glenthompson, Cavendish and surrounding areas.

We support your independence and respect your right to choose the services you have been approved to receive and how they’re delivered. This approach gives you greater flexibility and control to make decisions which you consider are right for you.

Our Intake Officer or Care Partner will visit you in your home for an initial assessment to understand your requirements and goals for living independently at home. Together, you’ll identify and discuss the care and support services you may benefit from. You’ll then collaborate to create your individual care plan based on the care and services you personally select to best meet your requirements and how they’ll be delivered.

An experienced local Care Partner will then manage your individual Support at Home budget and coordinate services to ensure your individual care plan needs are met and services can be funded. Your Care Partner may also offer you support and guidance about additional services, along with other aged care and health care services you could benefit from.

Contact us

Fees and charges

Support at Home services are funded through a mix of government funding (what the Australian Government pays) and, where applicable, contributions from you (the Participant). Your contributions are determined by a Services Australia assessment of your income and assets. Your contributions will differ based on the service being delivered and your assessed financial capacity to pay.

The outcome of your income and assets assessment based on your pension status will determine the contribution you will need to pay for the services you receive. Pension categories include: full pensioner; part-pensioner; and self-funded retiree and Commonwealth Seniors Health Card (CSHC) holder, or self-funded retiree and non-CSHC holder.

If you’re eligible for Support at Home, the type of services you can receive and may need to contribute towards include:

  • Clinical supports – fully funded by the government for ALL participants.
  • Independence – will attract moderate contributions.
  • Everyday living – will attract the highest contributions.

Important:

  • No upfront fees or savings required – care is paid as you go, based on services received.
  • Financial hardship provisions are available if you can’t afford to pay.
  • You will always be told upfront what your contributions are and how they’re calculated.
  • For ongoing classifications, the funding amount will be divided into 4 budgets that each cover 3 months of the year. This is known as a quarterly budget and will be aligned to your assessed needs.
  • For short-term classifications, your budget will cover the period specific to the pathway or scheme. For example, up to 16 weeks for the Restorative Care Pathway, up to 12 weeks for the End-of-Life Pathway, or 12 months for the AT-HM scheme, in most cases.

For more information regarding income and asset assessment and fee estimator, visit My Aged Care Upcoming changes to aged care funding

View the current WDHS Aged Care Support at Home services price list.

Contact us to find out more

Opening hours:

Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM,
excluding public holidays

Address:

McKellar House, 20 Foster Street, Hamilton VIC 3300

Contact My Aged Care directly to arrange an assessment, find out your eligibility for the Support at Home program, for further information about fees, and to request a pre-acceptance Income Tested Care fee letter.

Other programs

Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP)