Support At Home

Aged Care Reform
Overview

What to Expect with the Support at Home Program This July (2025)

Big changes are coming to aged care in Australia, and El Pinoy Care Services is here to help you prepare. Starting in July, the new Support at Home Program will replace the current Home Care Packages (HCP), introducing a more streamlined and flexible aged care system. This reform is designed to provide fairer funding, faster access to services, and more personalised care—ensuring that older Australians can live safely and independently in their own homes for longer.

What Does This Mean For
El Pinoy Care Services

El Pinoy Care Services is ready to transition into the future of aged care, aligning our services with the new funding structures, care models, and compliance standards to ensure we continue delivering the highest quality support. All our staff will receive up-to-date training to stay ahead of these important changes, and we’re committed to guiding our aged care consumers and their families every step of the way—so no one is left behind. Join us as we embrace this new chapter and shape a stronger, more compassionate future for aged care!

To help our community navigate these changes, we hosted a Support at Home Seminar on April 1st at our Campbelltown head office, open to our aged care consumers and the general public. The event focused on educating attendees about what’s coming and how to transition smoothly into the new system

6 Key Takeaways

(1) New Aged Care System – Support at Home
The current four-tier HCP structure will merge into an 8-level funding model, offering more specific support depending on individual needs:

• Level 1: ~$11,000 – Basic home support
• Level 2: ~$16,000 – Moderate care needs
• Level 3: ~$22,000 – Increased care needs
• Level 4: ~$30,000 – Comprehensive support
• Level 5: ~$40,000 – Higher-level care
• Level 6: ~$48,000 – Intensive home care
• Level 7: ~$58,000 – Advanced mobility/dementia care
• Level 8: ~$78,000 – 24/7 complex medical support

This new model will include faster access to care, with the aim of reducing wait times to just three months by 2027, and a single care provider managing all services under one plan.

(2) New Aged Care Standards
The reforms emphasise person-centred care, focusing on dignity, respect, and independence. Providers will be held to stronger governance, with improved clinical care, medication safety, nutrition, and cultural responsiveness.

(3) New Aged Care Legislation
A new Aged Care Act will replace the outdated 1997 legislation, embedding consumer rights, stronger protections, and worker accountability through mandatory registration and stricter penalties for non-compliance.

(4) Higher Standards & Compliance
Providers will face mandatory audits, more reporting, and public performance transparency, all designed to ensure consistent, top-tier care.

(5) Better Workforce, Better Care
With higher wages, increased training, and stronger regulations, the aged care workforce will be more skilled and supported—ensuring safer, more professional care.

(6) More Personalised, Flexible Care
Consumers will have more say in how care is delivered, with individualised funding, assistive technologies, home modifications, and a $25,000 End-of-Life Pathway for those who choose to remain at home in their final months.