Short answer: If Mum or Dad already has a registered Support at Home provider, you do not need to leave that organisation to get physiotherapy or exercise physiology at home. Alera Healthcare works as an associated Support at Home provider. The registered provider keeps the plan and funding responsibility. When physio or EP clinical supports are authorised, Alera can deliver those sessions in the lounge room across Sydney Metro, with the same therapist where possible, and we coordinate with the registered provider so the family is not left chasing forms.
This post is the practical “we already have a provider” pathway. For the funding categories and clinical-support rules, see our earlier guide to Support at Home clinical supports.
What “associated” means when you already have a provider
Support at Home separates two roles that families often blur together.
- The registered provider holds the participant’s arrangement, service agreement and plan. They remain accountable under the aged care framework and claim funding for approved services.
- An associated provider delivers specific services on behalf of that registered provider, such as clinical physiotherapy or exercise physiology in the home.
Alera Healthcare is an associated Support at Home provider. We are not a registered Support at Home provider on the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission register for that programme. That wording is intentional: your registered provider stays in charge of the plan; we bring clinical movement care into the home when those supports are approved and coordinated.
The usual family pathway (step by step)
Every plan is different, but a clear sequence reduces friction.
- Confirm clinical supports are in the plan. Physiotherapy and exercise physiology sit among clinical supports when approved in the Notice of Decision and support plan. If they are not listed, ask the care manager what assessment or plan update is needed before visits can start.
- Name the need in plain language. New pain, a limp, quieter walking, a near-fall, post-hospital recovery, or a chronic condition that needs carefully graded exercise. That helps the care manager match the right clinical chapter. When movement has newly changed, physiotherapy often leads; capacity and chronic-condition exercise often sit with exercise physiology.
- Ask the registered provider to engage Alera as the associated clinical partner. Care managers can use our referrals path or for referrers notes. We aim to acknowledge professional referrals within one working day.
- Keep one therapist where possible. Continuity matters more than a rotating roster when the lounge chair, hallway turn and outdoor step are part of the clinical picture. More on same-therapist baseline.
- Start in the real home. Sessions happen where risk and recovery actually live, not only in a clinic corridor. Alera has supported older Australians with in-home care across Sydney Metro since 2004.
What Alera coordinates so you do not chase paperwork
Families usually want two outcomes: timely clinical care, and a clean trail with the registered provider.
When Support at Home funding applies and physio or EP is authorised, Alera coordinates delivery with that organisation. The registered provider remains responsible for the plan. We focus on assessment, treatment and clinical exercise in the home, progress notes care managers can use, and clear communication when needs change.
DVA (where eligible) and private payment are discussed on enquiry when Support at Home is not the funding route for that episode of care.
Alera provides in-home physiotherapy and exercise physiology. We do not offer occupational therapy or NDIS services. If another kind of care would suit you better, we say so early.
Questions worth asking your care manager this week
Use these as a short checklist before the next care planning call.
- Are physiotherapy or exercise physiology already listed as clinical supports in the current plan?
- If not, what is the next step to have them assessed or added?
- Can Alera Healthcare be engaged as the associated provider for authorised physio or EP visits at home?
- If hospital discharge or a quieter month of less movement is the trigger, can the first home visit be booked promptly once authorisation is clear?
Quiet weeks of less movement are still useful clinical data. If walks have shortened or chair stands need two hands, see quiet weeks as clinical data.
Soft next steps
- Check the plan for clinical supports (physio and EP).
- Tell the care manager the movement change or goal in one or two sentences.
- Ask them to engage Alera as the associated clinical partner when visits are authorised.
- Book a 15-minute call if you want a plain map of needs and suitability first. It is a short planning call, not a treatment session.
Call 040 55 77 555 or email reena@alerahealthcare.com.au. Funding detail also sits on our funding page.
Already with a registered Support at Home provider? You can still get expert physio and EP in the same lounge room. Alera Healthcare brings that associated clinical care across Sydney Metro, with the same therapist where possible, while your registered provider keeps the plan.
FAQ: associated physio and EP when you already have SaH
Do we have to change Support at Home providers to use Alera?
No. Alera works as an associated provider alongside the registered organisation that already holds the plan, when clinical supports are authorised and coordinated.
Are you a registered Support at Home provider?
No. Alera Healthcare is an associated Support at Home provider. The registered provider holds funding and plan responsibility; we deliver physiotherapy and exercise physiology when those clinical supports are approved.
Who books the first visit?
Often the care manager and Alera coordinate after authorisation. Families can also Book a 15-minute call to map needs while the registered provider confirms plan details.
Is the 15-minute call a treatment session?
No. Book a 15-minute call to map needs and suitability. It is a short planning call, not a clinical consultation or treatment session.
How do care managers refer?
Professionals: referrals or for referrers. Families: Book a 15-minute call, call 040 55 77 555, or email reena@alerahealthcare.com.au.