The Minister for Aged Care, the Hon. Anika Wells, announced that the Support at Home Program (SAHP) would be rolled out in two stages to ‘minimise disruption and ensure continuity of care’ in progressing home care reforms that will affect more than one million existing care recipients.
So, what does this mean for the Sector?
By July 2024
- Commencement of a new single assessment system (and application of the newly integrated single assessment tool); and
- Commencement of a New Aged Care Act with risk-proportionate regulatory responsibilities stipulated for home care providers of government funded aged care programs.
By July 2025
- Commencement of the Support at Home Program assessment, classification, and funding arrangements exclusively applied for 250K+ care recipients of Home Care Package (HCP) and Short Term Restorative Care (STRC) program providers;
- Assign regulatory responsibilities under the new Support at Home program for care and support (HCP/STRC providers only) to occur through a single primary service provider (with supplementary services delivered against support plans to occur via brokerage arrangements through the single primary service provider).
- Commencement of a new Assistive Technology and Home Modification (ATHM) program arrangement.
Baldwin Living HomeServe will continue to communicate with homecare consumers on these transitional changes as further information comes to hand.
