With the Support at Home program scheduled to begin on 1 November 2025, aged care providers are entering a new phase of service delivery. This shift prioritises transparency, goal alignment, and consumer trust. One of the clearest indicators of provider readiness lies in a familiar but often overlooked tool: the monthly client statement.
Often seen as just an administrative formality, statements become a key part of the client experience. They’re not just a record of services. They’re a way to show how care is being delivered, how it supports client goals, and how funds are being managed with integrity.
A New Era of Accountability
Support at Home introduces broader service options, more flexible funding, and rising expectations around communication and transparency. Monthly statements are expected to:
- Clearly detail what services were provided
- Connect service delivery to client goals
- Explain costs, remaining balances, and changes
- Be easy for clients and families to understand
Vague or technical statements could erode trust. Clear, outcome-oriented communication will help providers stand out in a more competitive, consumer-directed aged care environment.
Common Gaps in Current Practice
Many providers struggle to meet expectations even under the current Home Care Packages model. Some of the most frequent issues include:
- Internal codes or unexplained abbreviations
- No clear link between services and goals
- Confusing layout or poor formatting
- Lack of context for unspent funds or plan changes
These problems are more than just inconvenient. Under the Support at Home program, they could be seen as a failure to communicate value, and may drive clients to explore other providers.
What Good Statements Should Include
Make It Easy to Read
Clients should be able to glance at their statements and understand what care they receive, what it costs, and how it aligns with their support plan. Use plain language, intuitive headings, and consistent formatting. Grouping services by goal area – clinical, Independence and everyday living– can also help clarify each service’s purpose.
Many providers are improving this process with solutions that integrate directly with their care management systems. For example, this approach to home care communications enables automatic generation of clear, goal-aligned statements without extra manual work.
Reflect the Client’s Journey
Statements should show more than services delivered. They should show progress. Even a brief explanation of how physiotherapy supports a goal of independent movement can reassure clients and families that care is purposeful.
Dynamic templates that draw on up-to-date data from core systems can make this possible. Monthly statement frameworks like these let providers display service data alongside outcomes without adding administrative pressure.
Scale Without Losing the Personal Touch
As client numbers increase, manually personalising every communication is no longer viable. However, clients still expect statements that feel relevant and individual.
Automated communication for healthcare and home care makes that balance between scale and quality easier to maintain. This allows statements to adapt based on the client’s care journey, goals, and preferences.
Prepare Teams to Have the Right Conversations
Even a well-designed statement can lead to questions. That’s why staff across care, scheduling, and finance teams need to be able to explain what’s included, why it matters, and how it links back to the client’s goals.
If your team is preparing for the transition, resources on Support at Home program changes can help align everyone around the required expectations, systems, and communication standards.
Now Is the Time to Prepare
Support at Home is more than a funding change. It represents a shift in how aged care is planned, delivered, and measured. Your organisation’s monthly statements will be one of the most visible reflections of its professionalism and client focus.
Reviewing your current approach, simplifying your language, and adopting communication systems that support personalisation at scale will put your organisation in a strong position to lead in this next chapter of aged care.
These aren’t just documents. They are a monthly proof of the care, respect, and attention you provide—and how ready you are for what’s next.
