In this Article

Your Just Better Care Support at Home Care Manager helps coordinate services and keep your support plan aligned with your goals. Clear communication, regular reviews, sharing changes early and understanding your plan are the best ways to build an impactful and respectful partnership.

A Just Better Care Support at Home Care Manager plays an important role in helping participants stay independent, safe and supported at home. When participants and their Care Manager discuss support needs, they shape services around goals, adjust supports when life changes, and ensure participants and their family feel confident that the care plan reflects what matters most.

A strong relationship with your  Just Better Care Support at Home Care Manager can make a meaningful difference to your experience of in-home aged care. 

Care management is about more than organising services—it’s about working together to ensure your ongoing support services reflect your goals, preferences and changing needs.

If you’re looking for an overview of the Support at Home program, visit our Support at Home Hub.

What does a Support at Home care manager do?

Under the Support at Home program, care management helps coordinate your services and ensure that participants' supports are safe, appropriate, and aligned with their agreed goals. 

A care manager may:

  • Help develop and review your personalised care plan
  • Coordinate services such as personal care, domestic assistance or allied health
  • Monitor your wellbeing and safety over time
  • Adjust services as your needs change
  • Support communication between you, your family and your support team

You can read more here: What Is Care Management Under Support at Home?.

1) Be clear about your goals

Support at Home is designed to support independence and quality of life. The clearer you are about what matters to you, the easier it is for your Care Manager to tailor supports around your goals.

Your goals might include:

  • Staying in your own home long term
  • Regaining confidence after a fall
  • Maintaining mobility and strength
  • Staying socially connected
  • Reducing pressure on family carers

2) Communicate openly and early

Here is a revised version with improved readability, clearer flow, and the requested link included: If something isn’t working, it’s okay to provide feedback at any time. You can speak directly with your local Just Better Care office in person, by phone, by letter, or by email. 

If you prefer, you can also submit feedback to our central support office online via our feedback page, which includes options to contact external bodies if you choose. Online feedback can be submitted anonymously if you wish. 

Small issues can often be resolved quickly when raised early, and open communication helps build trust and strengthen your support experience.

You may want to talk to your Care Manager about:

  • Changes in your health, mobility or routine
  • Safety concerns at home
  • Service times that no longer suit
  • Preferences about support workers
  • Cultural, language or personal preferences

3) Prepare for Care Plan reviews

Your care plan should evolve as your circumstances change. 

Reviews are an opportunity to check what’s working well, what needs adjusting, and whether your goals have changed.

Before a review, it can help to write down:

  • Any new challenges in daily living
  • Any changes in health, pain, mobility or energy levels
  • Which supports are most helpful
  • Any services you’d like to change or add

If your needs change significantly, your Just Better Care Care Manager can guide you through next steps, including requesting a reassessment through My Aged Care.

4) Understand your Support Services and Support Plan

Knowing what’s included in your plan can help you feel more confident and in control. 

Ask your Care Manager to explain anything that you don't understand. 

In addition, your Just Better Care Care Manager will also explain:

  • What services you receive and how often
  • How your funding is allocated across supports
  • The options to adjust services if your needs change
  • The option to pay for private (self-funded) care for additional services or extra hours of existing services.

For more on how the Support at Home program works, see: Support at Home Program Australia | Aged Care Changes.

5) Involve family, carers or advocates (if you choose)

With your consent, a family member, friend or carer can be involved in conversations with your care manager to support communication, decision-making and a shared understanding of your care plan.

If someone needs to formally act on your behalf — for example, a family member, to speak with My Aged Care or make decisions about your services — they may need to be registered as an appointed representative. You can learn more about this process in our article: Appointed Decision Makers & My Aged Care Registration.

6) Share health changes promptly

Even small changes can affect safety and independence. 

Let your local Just Better Care Care Manager or Support Worker know as soon as possible if you experience:

  • A fall or near-fall
  • A hospital admission or discharge
  • Increased pain, fatigue or difficulty with daily tasks
  • Changes to memory or confusion
  • Trouble managing medications

Early adjustments to your services can help prevent setbacks and support you to stay well at home.

7) Treat it as a partnership

The best care management relationships are built on respect and collaboration. 

Your Just Better Care Care Manager is there to listen, problem-solve and help coordinate services, but you remain at the centre of decisions about your care.

When communication is open and goals are clear, your support can be shaped around what matters to you.

8) Ask questions about anything you're unsure about

It’s okay to ask for clarification. Helpful questions can include:

  • How can my support services better reflect my goals?
  • What options do I have if my needs increase?
  • Are there services I’m not currently using that may help?
  • How often should we review my plan?

Why Care Management matters?

Working closely with your Just Better Care Support at Home Care Manager can help you:

  • Stay safer at home
  • Adapt support services as your needs change
  • Reduce stress for you and your family
  • Maintain choice, independence and control

Ready to talk through your options?

We can help you understand Support at Home and shape services around your goals, preferences and daily needs. There is a local Just Better Care office near you.

Get Started Visit the Support at Home Hub

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Frequently Asked Questions