Consider someone who's been hearing about "the new aged care changes" on the news and isn't sure what's real and what's rumour. A friend mentioned Home Care Packages were being scrapped; another said nothing had changed at all. They just want a calm, current summary of where things actually stand in 2026 — without the politics and without the panic.

This example is illustrative. Program rules are set by the Australian Government and continue to evolve.

Here's a level-headed snapshot of where Support at Home sits in 2026, and what it means whether you're a family looking for care or a provider working in the sector.

Home Care Packages became Support at Home

The headline change is real: Support at Home replaced the Home Care Packages program on 1 November 2025. It's the Australian Government program that funds services helping older people stay safely and independently in their own homes. If you've been hearing that "Home Care Packages are gone," this is what people mean — the support didn't disappear, the program was renamed and reshaped. Our Home Care Package to Support at Home guide covers the shift in detail.

What it means for older Australians

For most people, the goal is unchanged: funded help to keep living at home. Support at Home uses funding classifications and quarterly budgets, and it continues to let you self-manage — choosing your own workers and how your budget is spent. If you're new to it, am I eligible and how to apply are good starting points.

Rules keep evolving: as with any major reform, details are refined over time. For the current, authoritative position, always check My Aged Care and the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing — and treat this article as a plain-English orientation, not the last word.

What it means for providers

For care businesses, the transition brought new requirements around registration, the strengthened Quality Standards and how services are delivered and claimed. Many smaller providers are meeting these through partnership rather than full registration — see the strengthened Quality Standards for local partners and how partner onboarding works.

Staying current

Because the program is still bedding in, the smartest approach is to rely on official sources for specifics and use guides like ours to make sense of them. If you'd like help understanding what 2026 means for your situation — as a family or a provider — a quick conversation is the fastest way to get clear.