Home Support Program

Short-term support for people aged over 65 years who need some assistance to remain living independently.

The City of Adelaide’s Healthy Ageing team receives funding from the Australian Government to provide the Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP). This funding provides support services for residents over 65 (or over 50 years for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders) who need some short term assistance to remain living independently in their homes.

The program is designed to work alongside residents to support them to achieve their wellness and reablement goals.

To be eligible to receive services through the City of Adelaide, you must be a resident of Adelaide or North Adelaide.

Anyone over 65 (or over 50 for Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people) who requires some short term support to achieve their goals to remain living independently may be eligible for CHSP funding.

To determine this, you must undergo a My Aged Care screening and assessment. Council's Healthy Ageing staff can help you with this process if required.

You will need to contact the My Aged Care which is part of the Australian Government’s change to the aged care system.

You can phone the national contact centre 1800 200 422, or use the My Aged Care website.

A handy tip: Make sure you have your personal details and information such as pension and Medicare numbers ready. Allow approximately 30 minutes for the call.

Once you have completed your screening, the person doing your screening may:

• refer you straight to services (for something straight forward like a light bulb change) or
• they will refer you to the Regional Assessment Service (RAS).

The RAS will then complete an in-home or telephone assessment with you and will provide you with a range of service providers you can choose from. If you wish to receive your service through Council, please ensure you tell them that City of Adelaide is your preferred provider.

Through the programme, Council offers the following services to help residents achieve their wellness and reablement goals:

• Domestic assistance; such as ironing, linen changing, vacuuming, shopping from a list, spring cleans
• Home maintenance; such as replacing light bulbs or batteries, cleaning exhaust fans, gutters or windows and more comprehensive spring cleans
  
• Home modifications; such as installing grab rails, key safes and ramps
• Basic garden maintenance for items such as reducing vegetation that causes safety issues
• Transport to medical appointments; within 20 kilometres of the Council area
• Social programs; such as exercise classes and Central Market Shopping Bus.

Fees for CHSP services vary depending on the type of services required and your financial position. The City of Adelaide co-contributions for CHSP services are regularly reviewed to ensure fairness and equality. 

With effect from 1 August 2019, the fees will change to be between $10 and $25 per hour of service (or part there-of). You can find out more about this change on our frequently asked questions document. 

Measures are in place to ensure that financial hardship does not prevent you from receiving services. Please call a Healthy Ageing team member on 8203 7203 to discuss your eligibility for a reduced fee for service, or if you have any questions about our co-contribution fee structure.

Alternatively, complete this application form and return it to the contact details below.

You’ll find more information on the Federal Commonwealth Health Support Programme website.

If you have any questions or wish to give feedback about the Council CHSP services, please contact the City of Adelaide Healthy Ageing team Monday to Friday 9:00 am to 5:00 pm:

You can also complete and send us your questions through the CHSP feedback form.