ResourcesGlossary

Every term, defined.

56 Australian aged-care terms, the acronyms, classifications, contribution rates and Support at Home / Home Care Package concepts you'll see on statements and care plans.

ACAT
Aged Care Assessment Team. Conducts the assessment that decides eligibility and classification for Support at Home.
Aged Care Act 2024
The Australian law that replaced the 1997 Act and reset the framework for aged care, including the Statement of Rights.
Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission (ACQSC)
The independent regulator. Handles complaints, audits providers and publishes compliance ratings.
Anomaly
A line item that looks unusual. A rate spike, a duplicate, a service not in the care plan, or a charge above the published price.
AT-HM
Assistive Technology and Home Modifications. Tier 1, 2 and 3 funding tiers for equipment and minor modifications.
Care Manager
The person at your provider responsible for coordinating services. Named in your care plan.
CHSP
Commonwealth Home Support Programme. Australia's entry-level home care program for lower-level needs (cleaning, transport, meals, social support). Funded via grants to providers, with a small client contribution per service and no means test. Moves into Support at Home no earlier than 1 July 2027.
Care Plan
The document that lists goals, services, frequency and worker preferences. Reviewed at least once a year.
Classification (L1 to L8)
The Support at Home funding level assigned after assessment. L1 is the lowest, L8 the highest.
Clinical stream
Services delivered by clinicians. Nursing, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, podiatry, allied health, continence care and wound care.
Contribution
What the participant pays out of pocket, on top of the government subsidy. Means tested.
Domestic assistance
Cleaning, laundry, ironing. Falls under the Everyday Living stream.
Everyday Living stream
Domestic assistance, gardening, meal preparation, shopping and social support. The highest contribution stream.
FAAA
Financial Advice Association of Australia. Aged care specialist advisers are listed in their directory.
Grandfathered
Anyone who was on a Home Care Package on or before 12 September 2024. Lower lifetime contribution cap of $84,571.66.
HCP (Home Care Package)
The pre 2025 program for in home aged care. Replaced by Support at Home from 1 November 2025.
IAT (Independent Assessment Tool)
The structured assessment used by ACAT to determine the classification level.
Independence stream
Personal care, respite, transport for non everyday purposes, social support outside the home.
Lifetime cap
The maximum total contribution a participant pays across the program. $135,318.69 for new entrants, $84,571.66 for grandfathered participants, indexed twice a year.
Means test
Assessment of pension status, income and assets that determines the contribution rate.
MMM (Modified Monash Model)
Geographic classification used to compare prices across regions of similar remoteness.
My Aged Care
The federal government website and helpline (1800 200 422) that is the entry point to all aged care services.
National Quality Standards
The eight standards aged care providers must meet. Published by the ACQSC.
OPAN
Older Persons Advocacy Network. Free, independent advocacy. 1800 700 600.
Participant
The older person receiving Support at Home services.
Pension status
Full age pension, part age pension or self funded. Determines the means tested contribution rate.
Provider
The registered organisation that delivers Support at Home services. Listed on My Aged Care.
Quarter
Three month period over which budgets and rollover are calculated. Quarters align to financial year boundaries.
Reassessment
A new IAT assessment, requested when needs have changed substantially. Can result in a higher or lower classification.
Restorative Care Pathway
A short term focused program, typically 3 months, after hospital admission or significant decline. Aimed at recovery.
Rollover
Up to 10% of unused quarterly budget, or $1,000 whichever is greater, carries into the next quarter.
Schedule of Subsidies and Supplements
Department of Health publication listing current rates and contribution rates for Support at Home services. Updated twice a year.
Service code
The standard identifier for each service type used on statements (for example DA-01 means domestic assistance cleaning).
Statement of Rights
The 14 rights of every participant under the Aged Care Act 2024. Dignity, autonomy, information, choice, refusal, complaint and others.
Stream
One of three buckets (Clinical, Independence, Everyday Living) that services are categorised into. Streams cannot cross subsidise.
Support at Home
The federal program (effective 1 November 2025) that replaced Home Care Packages.
Wedge
Industry term for the entry product that gets a customer in the door. For Wayly, the Statement Decoder is the wedge.
Advance Care Directive
A legal document recording a person's wishes for future medical care and end of life preferences. The rules and the exact name differ by state and territory. Not financial or aged care advice.
Allied Health
Clinical services such as occupational therapy, physiotherapy, podiatry, speech pathology and dietetics. Delivered under the Clinical Care stream at no participant contribution.
Care Management Fee
The charge for coordinating a participant's services. Under Support at Home it is capped at 10% of the quarterly budget. Anything higher is not compliant.
Carer Gateway
The national service (1800 422 737) offering free counselling, peer support, coaching and emergency respite for family and friend carers.
Continence Support
Assessment and supplies to manage bladder and bowel needs. May be arranged through nursing under Clinical Care or the Continence Aids Payment Scheme.
Dementia Support
Tailored services for participants living with dementia, including behaviour support and specialist workers. Dementia Support Australia is on 1800 699 799.
Emergency Respite
Short notice respite arranged when a carer is suddenly unwell, hospitalised, or unable to provide care. Available through Carer Gateway on 1800 422 737.
Enduring Guardian
A person appointed to make lifestyle and medical decisions for someone who has lost capacity. The exact title varies by state and territory.
Enduring Power of Attorney (EPOA)
A person appointed to make financial and legal decisions on behalf of someone else, including after they lose capacity.
Financial Hardship Assistance
Extra support for participants who genuinely cannot meet their contribution. Applied for through Services Australia.
No Worse Off principle
The guarantee that participants who were in the Home Care Package system before the changes are not left paying more under Support at Home than they would have previously.
Package Management
The administrative overhead charged under the old Home Care Package system. Support at Home removed separate package management fees and folded coordination into the capped care management fee.
Quarterly Budget
The pool of funding a participant can spend over a three month period, set by their classification. Unused amounts partly roll over to the next quarter.
RAS (Regional Assessment Service)
The assessment team for people with lower level, entry level support needs, as distinct from the ACAT assessment used for higher needs.
Self-management
An arrangement where the participant or family takes on more of the coordination and provider choice, within the provider's model. Availability varies by provider.
Service Agreement
The contract between the participant and the registered provider, setting out services, rates, cancellation rules and rights. Read it before signing.
Support Plan
The plan produced after assessment that summarises goals and recommended services. It feeds into the provider's more detailed care plan.
Unspent Funds
Budget that has not been used. A portion carries into the next quarter under the rollover rules. A large balance can signal under servicing.
Wellness and Reablement
An approach that focuses on restoring or maintaining a person's independence rather than simply doing tasks for them. Built into Support at Home.