AS THE new Support at Home program settles into its first months of operation, older Australians across the region are beginning to understand one of the biggest changes: your care funding now resets every quarter – and anything you don’t use is returned to the government.<\/p>\n
This shift has taken many families by surprise. Under the old Home Care Package system, people could save their unspent funds for later. But under Support at Home, the model is very different. Quarterly budgets are designed to be used regularly for ongoing support – not saved for future years.<\/p>\n
At Dovida Geelong, Giovanni and Giselle have found that many clients are still adjusting to the shift from the old Home Care Packages mindset – where saving funds for later was allowed – to the new Support at Home model, where budgets renew quarterly and unused funds are returned to the government.<\/p>\n
It’s understandable that this change can feel confusing at first, and Dovida’s role is to help clients confidently navigate this new system.<\/p>\n
“Many older people are still in ‘saving mode’ because that’s what worked under Home Care Packages,” Giovanni said.<\/p>\n
“But Support at Home is a use it or lose it system. If you don’t use your budget, you simply get less care and support.”<\/p>\n
Why using your budget matters<\/p>\n
Your funding is designed to help you stay independent, safe, and well at home. Common examples include:<\/strong><\/p>\n Domestic assistance<\/p>\n Personal care<\/p>\n Meal preparation<\/p>\n Transport<\/p>\n Gardening and home maintenance<\/p>\n Wellness and reablement programs<\/p>\n Allied health support<\/p>\n Dovida’s local care partners often find that clients underestimate how much support they are entitled to – or don’t realise that fully using their available supports now can help prevent avoidable health issues later on.<\/p>\n Support that adapts to your needs<\/p>\n Because life changes, so should your care.<\/p>\n Support at Home provides a minimum monthly care management check-in, and Dovida’s team uses this time to review goals, pick up early signs of decline, adjust services, and recommend extra supports.<\/p>\n This personalised approach ensures assessed and required support are used proactively, not reactively.<\/p>\n No need to save for equipment or modifications<\/p>\n Assistive Technology and Home Modifications (AT-HM) now have their own funding pool, separate from your quarterly budget.<\/p>\n