Support at Home Healthcare

Support at Home is a new in-home aged care program in Australia that replaces Home Care Packages and Short Term Restorative Care programs and it commences in July 2025.

Support at Home provides a range of services to help older adults remain safe and independent at Home, including nursing care, Allied Health, personal care, domestic assistance, and Assistive Technology.

Community Therapy partners with the Support at Home providers to deliver Allied Health services to older adults across the Central Coast and Hunter New England health districts.

Selfie of smiling Physiotherapist and older adult

Icon of an occupational therapist tool, blocks

Expertise

Community Therapy specialises in supporting older adults and has done so since 2017.

Icon of a clinician helping a client

Convenience

Community Therapy is a large local team of over 130 Allied Health professionals with coverage for home visits across all of the Central Coast and Hunter.

Icon of a hand catching a droplet of water

Care

Community Therapy is focused on person-centred and compassionate healthcare

Support at Home Services Offered by Community Therapy

Allied Health Services

Physiotherapist doing Tai Chi exercises with Home Care client

Our Allied Health Services include Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Speech Pathology, Dietetics, and Massage Therapy.

Our services are fully mobile, which means our therapists come to your home!

Assistive Technology

Occupational Therapist showing an NDIS client how to use his newly installed stair lift.

Assistive Technology is a broad term to describe equipment that can help people improve their independence or safety with Activities of Daily Living.

Assistive Technology can range from minor low-cost low-risk equipment such as a shower chair to major high-cost high-risk equipment including lifting equipment such as hoists.

Our caring Occupational Therapists and Physiotherapists prescribe, trial and support the usage of AT.

Home Modifications

Ramp at client's back door

Home Modifications refer to modifications to the internal or external components of somebody’s home to help them live longer and safer at Home.

Home modifications can be minor including grab rails to major home modifications such as the complete reconstruction of the accessible bathroom.

Home modifications are also delivered by our OTs.

What Other Services Can Someone Receive Under Support at Home?

There is a defined list of services that older adults can receive under the Support at Home program, including:

  • Nursing care
  • Allied Health
  • Nutrition
  • Personal care
  • Social support and
  • Community engagement
  • Respite
  • Transport
  • Assistive Technology
  • Home modifications
  • Domestic assistance
  • Home maintenance/repairs
  • Meal delivery service

At Community Therapy, we deliver Allied Health services and help people access Assistive Technology (Equipment) and Home Modifications.

Physiotherapist and aged care client doing balance exercises for falls prevention

How Do I Access Support at Home?

Accessing the Support at Home program can be summarised into three steps;

  1. Initially, an older adult requires an aged care assessment and this can be organised by contacting My Aged Care.
  2. After an assessment – an older adult will be provided with a Support at Home package at a particular level.
  3. They then choose an approved Support at Home provider of their choice to deliver and coordinate the services they need.

Clinician and client sitting next to each other during an assessment

Who Does Community Therapy Work With?

The Community Therapy team specialise in supporting older adults.

We are experienced in supporting a diverse range of healthcare conditions that older adults live with such as

  • Osteoarthritis
  • Osteoporosis
  • Increased fall risk
  • Decreased Mobility
  • Dementia and
  • Neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s and stroke.

Quality healthcare is a combination of evidence-based interventions and great customer service.

Interestingly, most healthcare consumers believe communication and customer service are some of the most important aspects of the service.

Physiotherapist and older adult doing lower limb resistance exercises

What Makes Community Therapy an Appropriate Support at Home Provider?

Community Therapy specialises in supporting older adults and has done so since our inception in 2017.

  • We have delivered services through homecare packages, STRC and CHSP
  • We have partnerships with residential aged-care facilities
  • We are NDIS-registered

With this experience, we are appropriate to consider for Support at Home related services.

Male massage therapist massaging a client's knee

How Can I Get Started with Community Therapy?

If you have a Support at Home package and are looking for Allied Health professionals across the Central Coast and Hunter, then you can most likely receive services from us.

If you are yet to be assessed for a Support at Home package – you should contact My Aged Care. We look forward to hearing from you!

Contact Us

Portrait of our Speech and Diet teams

FAQ

  • What is involved in a Support at Home assessment?

    The Support at Home assessment is conducted by the single assessment system workforce.

    (In the past, this was named the Regional Assessments Service or Aged Care Assessment Team).

    In the assessment, the assessor takes an older adult through the integrated assessment tool which covers a range of questions relating to somebody’s life including how they complete Activities of Daily Living to their general health and well-being.

  • How often will my Support at Home care plan be reviewed and adjusted?

    A Support at Home care plan will be typically reviewed quarterly by your Support at Home provider.

    If your current plan and package level are not sufficient to provide you with the services and supports that you need – then a request for a reassessment by the single assessment Workforce will be made by your aged care provider.

  • Can I combine Support at Home with other healthcare services I am already receiving?

    As with all healthcare systems in Australia, there should not be a double-up of services that you are receiving.

    This means that people cannot double-dip with how they pay for services.

    If someone is receiving services from another funding system such as DVA or NDIS, then you cannot receive the same services from Support at Home, and vice versa.

  • How will you ensure that my home care is tailored to my changing health needs?

    All Support at Home providers should regularly review the needs of their clients to ensure the care remains appropriate and effective.

    Reviews will be conducted by Allied health professionals from Community Therapy services, typically every three months. These reviews help to identify and address any changes in a client’s health and adjust the care plan accordingly.

  • Is Support at Home a merger of funding types?

    Yes, Support at Home is a merger of the Home Care Package and the Short-Term Restorative Care Program, starting from 1 July 2025. The Commonwealth Home Support Program is also planned to merge into the Support at Home program, but not before 1 July 2027.

  • What is the difference between Support at Home and other funding types?

    Unlike the Home Care Package program, Support at Home does not require clients to accrue funds for services.

    Instead, it offers a quarterly budget, includes pricing caps, and provides dedicated upfront support for the services listed earlier on this page.

  • What helpful articles can I read about this?