Published by SESI Care Services · Updated October 2026 · 2-minute summary
Quick answer: Support at Home is the government’s in-home aged care program. It replaced Home Care Packages on 1 November 2025. After a My Aged Care assessment, you choose a provider and sign a service agreement. Compare each provider’s services, published prices, service area and start times. Check your funding letter for your deadline. It is usually 56 days, and you can ask for 28 more.
Key takeaways
- Support at Home replaced Home Care Packages and the Short-Term Restorative Care Programme on 1 November 2025.
- Start with a My Aged Care assessment. The assessor works out your needs and goals and writes a support plan with you.
- Compare four things: the services offered, published prices, service area and when support can start.
- Check the date on your funding letter. You usually have 56 days to find a provider and sign a service agreement. You can ask My Aged Care for another 28 days.
- Nursing is clinical care. It is different from help with personal care and household tasks.
What is Support at Home?
Support at Home is Australia’s in-home aged care program. It is for older people who need help to keep living at home.
To get government-funded support, you first apply to My Aged Care. An assessor talks with you about what you need. Together you build a support plan. The plan helps show which services may suit you. You do not have to work it all out alone.
The Commonwealth Home Support Program is a separate, entry-level program for older people who need a little help to stay at home. Support at Home is a different program.
Support at Home can help with:
- personal care, such as showering and dressing
- cleaning, laundry and shopping
- preparing meals
- getting to appointments
- clinical care such as nursing, when it is in your plan
How do I compare Support at Home providers?
Start with your support plan. Write down the tasks that matter most. Then compare providers on the same four things.
| What to compare | What to ask |
|---|---|
| Services | Do they offer every service in my plan? |
| Prices | What do they charge for each task? Providers must publish their prices. |
| Service area | Do they visit my suburb? |
| Start time | When could support start? Which visit times can they offer? |
What will it cost?
There is no single cost that suits everyone. What you pay depends on when you were assessed and approved. In some cases it also depends on an income assessment.
Compare the published price for each task in your plan, such as meal preparation or cleaning. Do not rely on a general estimate.
Providers may also add a loading to their hourly rate. Ask what the full price is before you sign. SESI’s own rates are on our pricing page.
Where do providers work?
Check the provider’s service area against your address. Do not assume a provider covers every suburb in Melbourne or Victoria. The My Aged Care website has a tool to find providers near you.
Ask when support can start. Many people wait before care begins. Ask whether the visit times suit your usual day.
How do I check a provider’s staff?
Staff suitability depends on the job. A worker helping with a shower has different tasks from a worker helping with cleaning.
Ask these questions:
- Who will do each task in my plan?
- Will I see the same worker most of the time?
- How do workers share information with each other?
- What happens if my needs change?
Nursing is clinical care. If you need nursing, check the nurse’s qualifications. Do not assume a general support worker can do clinical tasks. Our guide to community nursing at home explains the difference.
How do I connect with a provider?
Your funding letter has an important date. You usually have 56 days to find a provider and sign a service agreement. If you need more time, you can ask My Aged Care for another 28 days. Read the letter as soon as it arrives and check the date.
Then:
- Look at your support plan and list the services you want.
- Use the My Aged Care provider search, or call 1800 200 422 for help.
- Tell each provider what is in your plan, where you live and which routines matter to you.
- Read the service agreement before you sign. It must be in place before services start.
Take your time with the agreement. A family member or someone you trust can read it with you.
Where does SESI fit in?
SESI Care Services delivers Support at Home services across Victoria. We work with your Support at Home provider. Your provider holds your service agreement and your budget. Your Support at Home budget pays for our services.
Already have a Support at Home provider? Ask them to add SESI.
We can help with:
- Personal care, such as showering, dressing and grooming
- Help around the house, such as cleaning, laundry and shopping
- Meals, such as planning and cooking at home
- Company and outings, such as going with you to appointments, the shops, a café or a club
- A break for carers, so your family can rest, work or get away
Personal care is fully funded when it is in your support plan and there is funding available in your budget.
See how Support at Home works with SESI.
Frequently asked questions
Are support workers qualified?
It depends on the task. Help with meals is different from clinical nursing. Ask the provider what experience and training suit the tasks in your plan. If you need nursing, ask about the nurse’s qualifications.
How do I check a provider’s safety record?
The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission regulates aged care in Australia. Its website has information about providers. Check it before you decide. You can also ask the provider how they handle complaints.
How much does it cost?
It depends on your assessment, your approval date and, in some cases, your income. Providers must publish their prices. Compare the price for each task in your plan.
Is care available near me?
It depends on where you live and where the provider works. Use the My Aged Care provider search and ask each provider if they cover your suburb.
Who is Support at Home for?
It is for older people who need help to keep living at home. An aged care assessment works out your needs and goals. The assessor then builds a support plan with you.
Which Support at Home providers operate in Victoria?
The My Aged Care provider search lists providers near you. SESI Care Services delivers Support at Home services across Victoria. If you already have a provider, ask them to add SESI.
Talk to SESI
You do not need every detail settled to start a conversation. Tell us what you want help with and we will call you back. A family member or carer can call too.
Start here: sesi.com.au/support-at-home · Call: 1800 017 374
This guide is general information based on My Aged Care and Department of Health, Disability and Ageing material, current at October 2026. It is not medical, legal or financial advice. Check your own letters and agreements, or call My Aged Care on 1800 200 422.
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