What is Support at Home?
Support at Home is a new aged care program that replaced the Home Care Package (HCP) scheme from 1 November 2025. It introduces a single, streamlined program for older Australians who need help to live independently at home, including access to ready-made meals.
Under this new model, Care Providers remain responsible for funding and oversight, but there is increased emphasis on meal quality, documentation, and ongoing assessment. This includes a new Meal Obligation that affects all food businesses serving Support at Home customers.
What is the Meal Obligation?
The Meal Obligation is a new compliance requirement introduced under the Support at Home program. It applies to all Commonwealth-funded meals delivered to older Australians and sets out three key requirements:
1. Meals must be appropriate - meaning they are suitable for the nutritional needs and dietary requirements of people aged 65+. 2. Meals must be assessed by an Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD) - to ensure they are nutritious and appetising. 3. Meal Providers must have a quality assurance framework - including enabling Support at Home customers to provide feedback on the meal service (e.g. via phone, surveys, or during delivery).
These requirements aim to improve the nutritional quality and customer experience of government-funded meals for older Australians.
Do I need to have my recipes reviewed by a dietitian?
Yes, under Support at Home, meals must be reviewed annually by an Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD). This is a core part of meeting the Meal Obligation and demonstrating compliance.
How many meals need to be reviewed?
The government has not stipulated how many meals must be reviewed for each review. Cookaborough's APD partner audits 10 meals or 10% of your menu (whichever is greater).
Meals included in the audit should be:
- Your most popular meals over the past six months, or
- Meals from your dedicated Support at Home menu or menu section (if you have one)
When do I need to complete the APD review?
While the government guidance material does not specify a formal deadline, many Care Providers across the market have advised that they expect to receive APD completion certificates by 31 March 2026.
What do I need to do to prepare for the APD review?
We have released a guide to help you prepare for your review:
➡️ Prepare for your APD Review
What is a complete and accurate recipe?
To be considered complete and accurate within the Cookaborough platform, your recipe must include:
- A clear name and description
- An accurate image
- A full list of ingredients with quantities and units
- Yield (serves, grams, units)
- Storage and preparation instructions
Use the filters in your Recipes table to review recipes that are on an open menu and update any incomplete recipes.
What is an accurate image?
An accurate image is one that clearly represents the final dish as it will be delivered to the customer (in terms of portion size, components, and overall appearance). You can use styled images or stock-style images as long as they truthfully reflect the meal being sold. Avoid overly abstract or misleading presentation - the goal is to help customers and dietitians understand what to expect when they receive the meal.
For the APD review, you must provide an actual photo of the meals.
Can Cookaborough connect me with a dietitian?
Yes, we’ve partnered with Peninsula Physical Health and Nutrition (PPN), a team of experienced Accredited Practising Dietitians with a strong background in aged care and food service.
Details on how to book your review with PPN are outlined in this guide:
➡️ Support at Home APD Reviews for Meal Providers
Do I have to use Cookaborough’s dietitian partner?
No, you're welcome to engage your own APD. If you do:
- You would be responsible for arranging and covering the cost of that service.
- You would still need to provide your recipes to the APD for assessment, though we don’t yet know if there will be a required format or process for submitting them.
You can use the Dietitians Australia directory to source an APD:
https://member.dietitiansaustralia.org.au/fal
Will Nutritional Information Panels need to be displayed for customers?
Aligning with the broader goals of transparency and nutritional appropriateness set out in the Meal Obligation, we believe Nutritional Information Panels (NIPs) will be required to be made available to customers under the Support at Home program. Displaying NIPs helps ensure that both customers and their Care Providers are informed about the nutritional content of meals funded through government programs.
What is the Quality Assurance Framework (QAF)?
Under Support at Home, Meal Providers must implement a Quality Assurance Framework (QAF) to continuously improve meals, snacks and drinks delivered under the program. This framework must:
- include mechanisms for collecting feedback from older people (e.g., surveys, calls, conversations) about satisfaction with meals
- be fit for purpose and regularly reviewed
- use feedback and dietitian assessment outcomes to drive continuous improvement in meal quality and suitability.
Meal Providers can design their QAF in whatever format works best for their organisation, but it must be documented and capable of demonstrating ongoing quality improvement.
Additional information
Need more information? Contact Cookaborough Support:
✉️ [email protected]