Support at Home: What Care Management Means for You

Starting 1 November 2025, the Australian Government’s Support at Home program will change how aged care services are delivered — and one of the biggest improvements is the strengthened role of Care Management.

Care Management is no longer an optional extra — it's a core part of your care experience. It ensures your services stay aligned with your evolving needs and that your funding is used wisely and transparently.

In this blog, we explain what Care Management is, who delivers it, what it covers (and doesn’t), and why it matters for you and your family.

What Is Care Management in Support at Home?

Care Management is the structured process of:

• Developing your initial Care Plan

• Coordinating and booking services

• Monitoring and reviewing your care

• Supporting your wellness and independence goals

• Advocating for your best interests across the aged care system

Every Support at Home participant will receive Care Management funded through their budget — 10% of your quarterly budget is automatically allocated to it.

This ensures that everyone has ongoing, professional support to manage their services and funding.

Who Provides Care Management? – Meet Your Care Partner

Care Management is delivered by an appropriately trained Care Partner (this title may vary between providers e.g. Care Manager or Care Co-ordinator).

A Care Partner is:

• An aged care worker with relevant experience and training

• Your point of contact for all care planning and coordination

• Focused on supporting you to achieve the best outcomes from your aged care services

Preferred qualifications for Care Partners include:

• Certificate III in Aged Care, Disability, Health Services Assistance, or Community Services

• Certificate IV in Aged Care, Disability, Community Services

• Diploma of Community Services (Case Management)

• Diploma of Nursing (for Clinical Care Partners)

• Other qualifications related to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Care

Clinical Care Partners (managing more complex needs) must hold a tertiary-level health qualification such as a Bachelor of Nursing.

Providers can use a team-based approach where a mix of care partners supports different levels of their Support at Home participants' needs.

What Does Care Management Cover?

Care Management includes:

• Personalised care planning

• Service coordination across multiple service types (clinical, independence, everyday living)

• Budget guidance — helping you track and understand your quarterly funding

• Monitoring and reassessment support

• Wellness and reablement support — focusing on helping you regain or maintain independence

• Advocacy when interacting with providers or government systems

What Is Not Covered by Care Management?

It’s important to know what’s not included in Care Management:

• Direct delivery of services like showering, cleaning, nursing, or therapy

• Administration costs unrelated to care planning

• Travel costs unrelated to service coordination

• Services not tied to your care plan or goals

If a worker provides both personal care and household cleaning during one visit, the time spent on each service must be recorded separately, even if it’s the same worker.

New Care Management Plans for All Current Clients

If you currently receive a Home Care Package (HCP), you will need a new Care Management Plan before or after 1 November 2025.

This plan must:

• Align with your updated Support at Home funding (matched to your current HCP funding) and service structure

• Reflect your wellness and reablement goals

• Set out how your services and care management will work moving forward

Your provider is responsible for developing this updated plan with you. If you haven’t heard from them yet, it’s a good idea to request a meeting.

Service Categories Explained – What's Funded

Under Support at Home, services fall into three contribution categories, each with specific service types:

• Clinical Supports are fully government-funded (no participant co-contributions).

• Independence and Everyday Living services may attract co-contributions depending on your income assessment.

Not sure what the three service categories cover?
Read our blog: Support at Home: Funding, Classifications and Pathways for a detailed breakdown of how services are grouped under the new system

Can You Have More Than One Provider?

No.
Under Support at Home, a single provider must deliver and manage all of your services, although they may subcontract specific tasks if needed.

This change is designed to improve service coordination and ensure accountability.

Can You Suspend Your Services During Leave?

No.
There are no leave provisions under Support at Home.
If you go into hospital, respite, or take other temporary leave, your services remain active and your funding continues.

This ensures seamless support and simplifies financial management.

Managing Care Management Funding

• 10% of your quarterly budget is pooled by your provider to deliver Care Management services across all participants.

• Providers must manage this pool flexibly, providing more intensive care management when participants’ needs increase (e.g., following hospital discharge).

• For End-of-Life Pathway participants, there is no cap on Care Management charges, recognising the complex planning required.

All claims must be proportionate, transparent, and in the best interests of participants.

Why Care Management Matters

Effective Care Management:

• Helps you navigate the new system with confidence

• Ensures your services stay aligned to your goals and preferences

• Reduces stress for you and your family

• Promotes better outcomes and greater independence

How Right at Home Supports You Under Support at Home

At Right at Home, we are committed to providing Care Management that is:

• Personalised and proactive

• Focused on wellness, independence, and client choice

• Transparent and easy to understand

• Backed by qualified, compassionate Care Partners (Care Managers or Care Co-ordinators)

We’ll work with you to update your care plan, monitor your progress, and ensure your services always meet your changing needs.

Need Help Planning Your Support at Home Care?

Whether you're new to aged care or transitioning from a Home Care Package, Right at Home is here to support you.
Book a free consultation today and let's start planning your future with confidence.

Right at Home Australia is a leading provider of quality in-home care. Our mission is to improve the quality of life for those we serve ensuring the Right Care, Right at Home™.  We support people living with complex and post-operative care needs, dementia and cognitive decline, seniors, and adults living with a disability including NDIS participants. Our tailored services help clients to remain safe and independent in their homes. We are an Approved Provider under the Aged Care Act, meaning we can provide quality support at home under a government-funded home care package. We also offer private pay arrangements for those who do not have government funding, or who wish to pay privately for top-up care. Right at Home is all about you. We are available 24/7 so contact your local office today. You can also call our national number on 1300 363 802. 

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