Updated 29 September 2026: Support at Home replaced the Home Care Packages Program and the Short-Term Restorative Care Programme on 1 November 2025. People who held a Home Care Package moved across to Support at Home with an equivalent level of funding. This guide keeps the former Home Care Package terms in places, because many people still search for them.
Aged Care Occupational Therapy Under Support at Home
Support at Home is the Australian Government program for government-funded aged care services at home. An older person goes through an aged care assessment to get an approval, and funding is then allocated and managed through a provider they choose. Occupational therapy is one of the clinical supports available under Support at Home, alongside services such as nursing care and podiatry, and it supports two things that matter at home: safety and independence in daily activities.
Understanding what your services cover, and how to actually arrange them, can be confusing. This guide breaks it down.
What an Occupational Therapist Does for Older Adults at Home
For older adults, occupational therapy often focuses on:
- Home safety assessments - identifying falls risks, recommending grab rails, ramp access, lighting upgrades, and other modifications
- Equipment prescription - shower chairs, over-toilet frames, walking aids, kitchen aids, dressing aids
- Activities of daily living support - strategies for showering, dressing, cooking, and getting in and out of bed
- Cognitive and dementia support - environmental adaptations, routines, and strategies that support memory and orientation
- Post-hospital rehabilitation - regaining independence after surgery, illness, or a hospital admission
- Energy conservation - pacing strategies for chronic conditions like heart failure, COPD, or arthritis
- Carer support - advice for family members on safe transfers, equipment use, and managing daily routines
For more on how these everyday tasks are assessed, see our page on ADLs in aged care and the ADL assessment. For what happens during a home visit, read our guide to occupational therapy for elderly people at home.
Most assessments happen in the participant's home because that is where the issues exist and where the solutions need to work.
What the Transitioned Home Care Package Classifications Mean
Support at Home funds ongoing services through 8 classifications, and it also carries 4 transitioned Home Care Package classifications, which provide an equivalent level of funding for the people who moved across from the old program. Your funding covers all your services combined - personal care, domestic assistance, clinical supports, transport, equipment - so OT is one part of a broader budget you allocate.
If you transitioned from a Home Care Package, the classification that applied to you reflected your assessed level of need:
- Level 1: Basic care needs - for people who need minimal support, typically a few hours of help per week. OT might be used for an annual home safety review and minor equipment prescription.
- Level 2: Low care needs - more flexibility for regular OT sessions to address specific goals like falls prevention, post-discharge support, or equipment trials.
- Level 3: Intermediate care needs - allows for ongoing OT alongside personal care, transport, and other supports. Common for people needing home modifications or post-stroke rehabilitation.
- Level 4: High care needs - funds intensive ongoing support including OT for complex needs - significant home modifications, complex equipment prescription, and frequent reassessment as needs change.
Aged care assessment is now delivered through the Single Assessment System, which replaced Aged Care Assessment Teams (ACATs) on 9 December 2024. For Support at Home, the assessment determines your approval and your classification, and your provider then manages the funding.
How to Arrange Occupational Therapy Through Your Provider
The first step is understanding your services and your provider's billing structure. Every person receiving aged care funding at home has an approved provider who manages the funding on their behalf, takes a fee for care management, and pays invoices from your remaining funds.
The practical process for arranging OT through your provider:
- Talk to your provider or case manager about wanting to access occupational therapy. They can recommend providers they work with regularly, or you can choose your own.
- Request a service agreement between your provider and the OT provider. This sets out hourly rates and how invoices will be handled.
- The OT conducts an initial home assessment - usually 60 to 90 minutes, billed as one or two units depending on travel time and report writing.
- Receive an OT report and recommendations, which often informs ongoing support, equipment requests, or home modification applications.
- Schedule follow-up sessions if ongoing therapy is part of the plan - your provider pays the OT directly from your funding.
What an OT Visit Costs From Your Package
OT visits under an aged care package are typically charged at an hourly rate that includes the home visit, travel time, and report writing. Rates vary between providers and may include a separate report-writing fee for complex assessments.
Equipment recommended by the OT (grab rails, shower chairs, walking aids) is usually purchased through your funding as well, often using preferred suppliers your provider works with.
For modifications that are larger than the day-to-day budget can absorb, Support at Home also has a separate pathway for assistive technology and home modifications - your provider can advise on what is possible.
Combining Aged Care Funding With Other Funding
If you are an NDIS participant who has also moved into aged care funding, you may have both. Generally OT services that relate to your disability stay under NDIS, while age-related needs come under Support at Home. A coordinator or your OT can help draw the line.
If you have private health insurance with extras cover, OT may be partly reimbursed - though the rules differ by insurer and policy.
The Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA) also has its own pathways for OT for eligible veterans, but we don't currently service DVA referrals.
When to Arrange an Aged Care OT Visit
Common triggers for arranging an OT visit through your package:
- After a fall - to identify the cause and prevent recurrence
- Returning home from hospital - to assess equipment and modification needs before discharge
- Considering home modifications - bathroom changes, ramped entries, lift installation
- Difficulty with daily activities - showering, cooking, getting out of bed, walking around the home
- Carer fatigue - identifying equipment or routines that reduce strain on family carers
- Annual reviews - many participants benefit from a yearly OT review to update equipment and plans
You don't need a referral from your GP to access occupational therapy funded through Support at Home - it is arranged through your provider and your support plan.
Getting Started With Ergo Therapy Group
Our occupational therapists work with older adults receiving aged care funding across Melbourne and Western Sydney. We provide in-home assessments, ongoing therapy, and home modification reports, and we have current capacity for new referrals. We can provide service agreements directly.
To discuss a referral, call 0450 874 303 or email admin@ergotherapygroup.com.au. You can also submit a referral online.