Older adults & Support at Home
Aged care physiotherapy in Brunswick West
Physiotherapy is a clinical support under Support at Home, which the government funds in full. Here is how that works, and what a session actually involves.
Reviewed by Andrew Macdonald, Senior Physiotherapist , AHPRA registered, APA member
Getting older changes what a body is dealing with, not what physiotherapy is for. Stiffer joints, a knee that complains on stairs, a shoulder that will not reach the top shelf, balance that feels less certain than it did, these all respond to assessment and treatment the same way anything else does.
Andrew sees older patients at the Brunswick West clinic, and there is a genuinely good piece of news on the funding side:physiotherapy is classed as a clinical support under Support at Home, the one category the government funds in full. There is no contribution from you for it.
100%
Of physiotherapy funded under Support at Home as a clinical support, with no participant contribution
$0
To pay at the counter, when your provider emails us authorising payment before your visit
None
Referral needed. Physiotherapy is direct access, so you can book yourself in
How Support at Home pays for your physiotherapy
Support at Homereplaced Home Care Packages on 1 November 2025. It runs on eight ongoing classifications with quarterly budgets, and it splits what it funds into categories. Clinical supports, the category physiotherapy sits in, are funded completely, so unlike help with everyday living there is no co-contribution to find.
The practical step is one email. Ask your provider to email us authorising payment before your appointment and we invoice them directly, with nothing for you to pay on the day. Without that email you pay at the end of the session and send the invoice to your provider yourself. Either way you can book now, the email can follow.
What a session involves
The first appointment is an assessment. Andrew takes a history, looks at how you actually move, and explains what he finds before any treatment starts. Depending on what turns up, that might mean assessing walking, balance and lower-limb strength, working through a stiff or painful joint with hands-onmanual therapy, or building a gradedexercise rehabilitation programme you can keep doing at home. Where they suit the problem,shockwave therapy andTENS and ultrasound are available too.
Common reasons older patients come in:osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis,low back pain,neck pain,frozen shoulder,rotator cuff injury,dizziness and balance problems,bursitis, andrecovery before and after surgery, hip and knee replacements especially. Thefull list of conditions has the rest.
Getting to the clinic
3/66 Melville Road, Brunswick West VIC 3055, on the ground floor. There is street parking directly out front and the opposite side of Melville Road is unrestricted at any hour, so a driver dropping you off has somewhere to wait. The 58 West Coburg tram runs along Melville Road, stops 35 and 36. Full detail is on the find us page.
Aged care physiotherapy FAQs
Does Support at Home cover physiotherapy?
Yes, and in full. Support at Home replaced Home Care Packages on 1 November 2025, and physiotherapy sits in the clinical supports category, which the government funds completely. There is no contribution from you for it, unlike the everyday living and independence categories where a participant contribution does apply.
How does the billing work?
Ask your provider to email us authorising payment before your appointment, and we invoice them directly, with nothing to pay at the counter. Without that email you pay on the day and submit the invoice to your provider yourself. You can book either way, the email can follow.
I had a Home Care Package. What happened to it?
Home Care Packages ceased on 1 November 2025 and were replaced by Support at Home, which runs on eight ongoing classifications with quarterly budgets rather than the old four package levels. If you were on a package before that date, your funding carried across, and your provider can tell you which classification you are now on and what your quarterly budget looks like.
Do you visit people at home or in residential aged care?
No, appointments are at the Brunswick West clinic. The rooms are on the ground floor, there is street parking directly out front, and the 58 West Coburg tram runs along Melville Road. If getting here is the difficulty, call the clinic on (03) 9089 7562 and we will talk through whether the clinic is a realistic option for you before you book.
Do I need a referral?
No. Physiotherapy is a direct-access service, so you can book yourself in. A referral is only needed if you want to claim through Medicare, DVA, WorkCover or TAC instead.
What if I am not on Support at Home?
You are just as welcome. Plenty of older patients book privately, through their private health extras cover with an on-the-spot HICAPS rebate, or on a Medicare chronic condition plan. The fees and rebates page sets out every pathway and what each is worth.
Can a family member come in with me?
Of course, and it is often useful. A second set of ears helps with a home exercise programme, and family are welcome to ask questions in the session.
Next steps
- Book online, or call (03) 9089 7562 if you would rather talk it through first.
- Ask your Support at Home provider to email us authorising payment. If that takes a while, book anyway, it can follow.
- Come in for the assessment, and bring a family member if that helps.
Consultation fees and every other claiming pathway, Medicare, DVA, private health insurance, WorkCover, TAC and NDIS, are set out on the fees & rebates page.
Ready to book your appointment?