New End-of-Life pathway funding from Nov 1st – role for General Practice.

From the 1st November, My Aged Care Support at Home program will include an important change with the inclusion of the new End-of-Life pathway. 

The End-of-Life Pathway is designed to support older people who have been medically diagnosed as having 3 months or less to live access to up $25,000 for in-home aged care services, to be able to remain at home during their final months of life.

Whilst general practice already plays an essential role in supporting end-of-life care, GPs and Nurse Practitioners will now have a role in the My Aged Care referral process for older people seeking access to the new funding, to support service delivery at end stages of life. This role will see GPs and Nurse Practitioners being requested by patients or aged care providers to complete an End-of-Life Pathway form.   

What you need to know:

  • Who can Refer?

GP, non-GP specialists or Nurse Practitioners will need to complete an End-of-Life Pathway form to refer patients for a high priority My Aged Care assessment (for new participants) or an urgent Support Plan Review (for existing Support at Home participants).  

 

  • Eligibility criteria:
    • GP, non-GP specialist or Nurse Practitioner will advise estimated life expectancy is 3 months or less to live, and
    • the patient has an Australian-modified Karnofsky Performance Status (AKPS) score of 40 or less.

 

  • Form Availability: 

The End-of-Life Pathway form will be available from the My Aged Care website starting November 1, 2025.

 

For additional information and resources visit:

Support at Home program- End-of-Life Pathway

Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing

Caresearch: Assessing Prognosis

Providing palliative and end of life care can be challenging. Resources that can support you in managing and navigating care for your patients are available at  SA Health Palliative Care Connect, or jump on to HealthPathways SA Palliative care suite of clinical and referral information localised for South Australia.   

02 October 2025