Aged Care Homes

Aged Care Homes

An aged care home is for elderly people who can no longer live at home and need ongoing help with everyday tasks and ongoing health/nursing care.

Leaving your own home and entering an aged care home isn’t an easy decision, nor does it have to be a daunting experience. An aged care home can give you the care and provide services you need to maintain your quality of life. It’s a great opportunity to forge new friendships, pursue new hobbies and improve your social life.

The government funds a range of aged care homes across Australia that can provide care and support services. Each aged care home is different, so it’s important to choose the right one for you.

What can an aged care home provide?

Aged care homes can help you with everyday tasks, personal care, and nursing care. They provide:

Accommodation

• Your room comes fully furnished with bedding which you can personalise and your own touch.

Hotel-type services

• Services to meet your day-to-day needs such as meals, laundry and social activities. This includes the services that maintain the aged care home. This covers cleaning, heating and cooling, and maintenance of the grounds and building.

Care services

• Personal care such as bathing, eating, help with taking medications, and carrying out health treatments.  Clinical care according to your needs. This can include special bedding, nursing services and therapy services such as speech therapy, podiatry (foot care) and physiotherapy.

How does it work?

The Australian Government subsidies a range of Aged Care homes in Australia to make care more affordable. This means affordable care and support services can be accessed by those who need it. The subsidies are paid directly to the aged care home. The amount of funding that a home receives is based on:

• an assessment of your care needs by the home
  (Using a tool called the Aged Care Funding Instrument or ACFI).
• how much you can afford to contribute to the cost of your care and accommodation
  (Using a means assessment)

What will it cost?

Each home sets their own prices, within a prescribed limit, and costs will vary. How much you will have to pay depends on the place you choose and an assessment of your income and assets.

Typically, there are three types of costs associated with all aged care homes:

• A basic daily fee (the maximum is currently $52.71 per day).  A maximum amount that everyone pays for the hotel services they receive.
• Accommodation costs:  A varying cost for your room based on a means assessment. (the maximum is currently $259.26 per day)
• Varying cost: for the care services you receive based on a means assessment.

Some aged care homes don’t receive subsidies from the Australian Government. There are a wide range of private aged care homes that offer great flexibility and choice.

Am I eligible for a subsidised place?

Eligibility is based on need, determined through a face-to-face assessment.

Your financial situation doesn’t affect your eligibility to live in a government-subsidised aged care home. It will impact the amount you may have to pay.

What else do people ask at this step?

I’m eligible for an aged care home. What happens now?

When you find out you’re eligible, there are two things you should do next:

Have a look through our Directory and start looking around your chosen area.

• Connect with an Aged Care Home that meets your needs. (some of them allow you to bring your pets, have hairdressing salons and so much more).
• Call our Aged Care help Line 1300 078 688