Home Health Care
The Support at Home or Commonwealth Home Support Programs are planned programs or group of services, to support you to remain living independently at home.
What Is Support at Home? (SAH)
The Support at Home program was introduced in November 2025, replacing the Home Care Packages Program and the Short-term Restorative Care Programme. It improves access to services, products, equipment, and home modifications to help you remain living independently at home for longer
These packages are allocated depending on availability and your needs. Services range from low touch support such as housekeeping to more complex high care services such as clinical care and respite.
What Is the Commonwealth Home? Support Program (CHSP)
The Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP) helps older people access low touch, entry-level support services to live independently and safely at home. CHSP works with you to maintain your independence rather than doing things for you.
If you’re having trouble with everyday tasks and feel that a little support could improve your health and wellbeing, CHSP could be right for you. To make sure you can access the help you need at an affordable price, the government subsidises these services, if you are eligible, you’re expected to contribute to the cost of your care.
Home Care Services Available
A Range of Services to Make Living at Home Easier
- Home cleaning
- Laundry
- Bed making
- Washing the dishes
- Shopping and meal preparation
- General household support such as helping with telephone calls, getting to appointments and help with other essential tasks
- Bill paying and managing your mail
- Lawn mowing / Garden care
- Home assessments by an occupational therapist
- Installing safety equipment
- Minor household maintenance, e.g. changing light globes, changing batteries in smoke detectors
How Do I Apply for Home Care Services?
The first step in accessing home care funding is to apply through My Aged Care.
To apply for home care, register with My Aged Care online or call 1800 200 422 to request an assessment of your needs. A team member will conduct a screening, followed by an in-person assessment by an assessor to determine eligibility for services like cleaning, personal care, or nursing.
Steps to Apply for Home Care:
Prepare Documentation: Have your Medicare card and details of your health issues ready.
Contact My Aged Care:
Online: Complete the “Apply for an assessment” form on the My Aged Care website.
Phone: Call 1800 200 422 (available Mon-Fri 8am-8pm, Sat 10am-2pm).
Initial Screening: A phone interview (approx. 15–20 minutes) will be conducted to discuss your daily living needs and current support.
Assessment: If eligible, a regional assessor (for basic care) or an Aged Care Assessment Team (ACAT) (for complex care packages) will visit your home to assess your needs.
Outcome: You will receive a letter confirming the outcome, your approved level of care, and your Support Plan
My Aged Care will then support a person with the remaining steps to receive the Support at Home Program or Commonwealth Home Support Program and begin accessing services.
Who is the Support at Home Program Appropriate For?
Support at Home (SAH) is appropriate for older adults who require more complex support at home. Under Support at Home, you have access to a defined list of services to support you to live at home for longer.
Currently, the target group for Support at Home are for people who are over 65 years of age, or for people who are over 55 years of age who identify as part of the Indigenous or Torres Strait Islander community.
Services could be as simple as a person who wishes to access social services in their region, or a person who requires more support.
- clinical supports, such as nursing care, occupational therapy, and podiatry
- independence, such as help with showering, taking medications, transport, and respite care
- everyday living, such as cleaning, gardening, shopping, or meal preparation.
NovaCare supports all levels of Support at Home consumers.
Who is the Commonwealth Home Support Program Appropriate For?
(CHSP) is appropriate for older adults who require some level of support at home. CHSP helps older people access entry-level support services to live independently and safely at home.
Currently, the target group for Commonwealth Home Support are for people who are over 65 years of age, or for people who are over 55 years of age who identify as part of the Indigenous or Torres Strait Islander community.
Services could be as simple as a person who wishes to access social services in their region, or a person who requires more support.
- domestic assistance, help with general cleaning, shopping, laundry and other jobs around your home.
- transport, Help getting you to appointments, events and everyday errands
- day or overnight respite, support at home or in our respite cottage to give you or your carer a break.
Why Choose NovaHome Care Services?
If you love living independently but are finding it harder to manage your home and yard, NovaHome services may be for you.
NovaCare understands that it can be difficult to keep up with all the chores. We also realise that time is a precious commodity for carers and families.
That’s why we’re here. We can help you maintain your independence, and enjoy your life at home and in the community.
HomeCare FAQ
- I’m with another provider but would like to swap to NovaCare, how can I do this?
Please phone us or contact us via the contact page and we will guide you through the process.
NovaCare provides services to people living in Lake Macquarie, Newcastle, Port Stephens and Maitland, NSW.
We can help you gain an understanding of the transfer timeline, because each organisation will have a different notice period. You can count on NovaCare to be ready on the transfer date!
- Am I locked into NovaCare services or do I have choice and control?
People have full control over their services with NovaCare.
We are total believers that people should have full control over who provides services to them in their own house.
We do not have an exit fee in our contract. People may cancel for any reason.
- In what ways will NovaCare’s administration team support me?
Our Intake team will help you with:
- Short and long term budgeting
- Budgeting variables, such as moving from a level 2 to 3 package
- Listening to your story in your own words, preparing great services to access
After starting with us, we’ll provide you with:
- A monthly statement with service/finance details
- Your Care Partner will ask for feedback on how we can serve you better
- 24/7 emergency phone support
- Scheduling of services
- Appropriate reviews of your Support at Home Program
- Our internal allied health professionals can review your healthcare management, or take part appropriately if your allied health professionals are external to us
- I’m a new homecare package holder and I believe NovaCare is right for me, how can we get started?
Please phone us or use our contact page. You will be assigned a dedicated NovaCare Care Partner who will support you now, and in the future as things change.
Initially, the ACAT will be involved and the homecare applicant will receive a letter to say that they’re approved for a the Support at Home program and have entered the final queue to receive funding.
At NovaCare, we can arrange interim assistance for people while they’re waiting for their Support at Home program to be assigned.
Our intake team will have initial discussions with applicants about the kind of support that they individually need to stay living in their own home. We can also discuss budgeting for homecare services to help people optimise their expenditure.
Consumers are always given choice and control. After the Support at Home funding is assigned, they are free to continue with us or choose another provider.
- What great things can NovaCare clients do around the Hunter?
The world is your oyster! Here’s some of the fun events we can do:
- Scone time – socialisation with plenty of fresh scones, cream, jam, tea and coffee.
- Cycling without age – an international movement which enables people to ride on trishaw bikes, enjoy the scenery and the wind in their hair.
- You choose – lunches, trips on the harbour, wellness activities through to wellness classes, or anything in between!
There’s a huge variety of opportunities for people to do fun things with Novacare. If you have any questions, please use our contact page to get in touch.