The toughest decision is the one that often needs to me made under trying conditions. Has the circumstances of a parent, relative, friend or other loved one changed ? This may be suddenly, such as a stroke, accident or sudden illness, or, over time such as progressing Illness, ageing or dementia.
There is help out there, starting with family doctors, government and community specialists.
Many people contact aged care services after something major has happened - for example, A parent could have had a stroke or a fall that meaning they can no longer look after themselves.
No matter what has happened, the first step is to rationally decide if you are able to cope with looking after the older person. If, however, you are the person needing care, think if you are still able to manage daily living activities in your own home or not. If you feel you can manage by yourself, but you need some help, there is a wide range of services that can help you maintain your independence at home and in the community. (link to staying at home ) (link to carers)
A Commonwealth Respite and Carelink Centre can provide you with information and advice on the care services available in your area, which may assist you. Commonwealth Respite and Carelink can be contacted on 1800 052 222 (free call) during business hours or, for emergency resppite support outside standard business hours, call 1800 059 059 (free call) or the website may be accessed at. More information
For older people with more complex needs or who feel they may need the service provided in an aged care home, an assessment by an Aged Care Assessment Team (ACAT or ACAS in Victoria) may be the best option. If you're in hospital you can organise a meeting with an ACAT member through the hospital social worker, or contact your local ACAT directly. You'll find that they're often located at, or work in close association with hospitals. You can also arrange for an assessment in your home or elsewhere if you haven't been admitted into hospital. More information
Aged care Assessment Teams
To get the assistance you will need an assessment by an Aged care assistance team (ACAT) This assessment helps the government work out which services you may be eligible for as well as working out how well you're able to cope with daily living activities and your own care.
Someone from the ACAT team (e.g. a nurse or an occupational therapist) will talk to you about how well you are coping in your day-to-day life, things that are easy for you to do, and things that are not as easy as they used to be! For example, they will ask about how easy it is for you to have a shower, put on your shoes or to cook a meal. They will also ask about your health.
There is nothing to pay; an assessment by an ACAT is free.
Your ACAT member/s will then talk to you about whether they think you need a place in an aged care home, or more support so you can keep living at home.
At the end, they'll explain their decisions and may give you a copy of their completed assessment (if not they will post this to you). This assessment tells you what type of services you're eligible and approved for, as well as leaving you with information about all the services that may be available in your local area.
You should keep a copy of the assessment and any approval that has been granted for you to access services. If you're not approved for aged care services you'll get a letter explaining how to appeal the recommendations.
At the end of your ACAT assessment your team member will probably leave behind reading material about services that you may wish to consider using, or services that may form part of their recommendations.
The recommendations are likely to fall under one of the following categories.
Getting Help staying at home
You may wish to stay at home rather than go into an aged care home. This shows how to access all the help you need to manage daily living activities such as personal care, meals, home maintenance, home nursing and much more.
Short-term care
You may find yourself needing a break and a little extra help, for a few days or just a few hours. This outlines your options and offers information on respite care that allows you to take a break, or transitional care, which has been designed for people who have just been in hospital.
Aged care homes
The recommendation to move to a care home is one filled with stress and concerns. This outlines costs and responsibilities of providers and services that can help.
Related health care services
There are many related health care services, or allied health services, to help you maintain your physical and emotional well-being, as well as help with rehabilitation or adjustment to new limitations. These include physiotherapy speech therapy, podiatry counseling, occupational therapy and day therapy.
Living in a rural area?
This section has information about the government's Regional Health Services, which have been designed to increase access to aged care and health services outside the big cities.
Where someone is able to stay in their own home there are a number of ways they can receive support.
Home and Community Care (HACC)
This service allows people to receive support in the comfort of their own home it includes:
Community nursing and health centers
Which encourage self help in health and lifestyle as well as some services such as medical assistance and hygiene.
Allied health care
Allied health services include physiotherapy, psychology, podiatry, chiropody, audiology/audiometry, chiropractic, dietary, nursing, occupational therapy, osteopathy, paramedical, speech pathology and therapy, dental and optical services and selected alternative therapies carried out by qualified practitioners.
Meals and food
If you have difficulty preparing your own meals, food services can deliver nutritious meals (fresh or frozen) to your home or local care centre. These meals can even be tailored to your needs if you have specific dietary requirements for health, religious or cultural reasons. The level of support you receive from food services varies, depending on the support you have at home:
Domestic Health and personal care
Home Modifications e.g. ramps and support rails
Day Therapy centers - to allow for a range of services in one spot
Short term care - as requires or to support a carer
Counseling - for the elderly or even the carer through stress or bereavement
Carers are usually family members who provide support to people who are unable to care for themselves. Carers can be partners, brothers, sisters, friends or children of any age. Carers may care for a few hours a week or all day every day. Some carers are eligible for government benefits, while others are employed or have a private income. More info on Carers Australia
They may be careers for someone in a home or in care, they must be aware of the range of support available to them in their caring roles such as Home and Community care (HACC) - outlined in "staying at home".
As Caring can be physically tiring and stressful, they should be aware of looking after themselves, by getting help in their caring or joining a support group. It may be as simple as getting some respite care while the carer is unavailable. This list includes:
- Household help
- Personal care
- Home nursing
- Meal services
- Home modifications
- Carer support
- Short-term care
- Day care centers
- Day therapy centers
- Special services for people with dementia
- Services for people with incontinence
- a range of allied health services
There are 65 walk-in shop fronts throughout Australia, ensuring that the Commonwealth Respite and Carelink Centre closest to you knows about the services in your particular location. You can call Commonwealth Respite and Carelink Centers on 1800 052 222 (free call) or visit the Commonwealth Respite and Carelink website.
If the decision is made for aged care accommodation, the accommodation must be found. More information
You will need to complete an application form to apply to live in a home . There is a standard form that asks the essential information that an aged care home needs. Your Aged Care Assessment Team can provide you with this form, or you can call a Commonwealth Respite and Carelink Centre for one. It is not compulsory to for you to use the standard form. You can choose, or be asked to, fill in a form provided by the home. You can also download a copy from the Health and Ageing website.
For the home to receive government funding on your behalf, so that you pay reduced fees, you need a current ACAT assessment that says you are eligible for 'residential aged care' (in an aged care home). If you are applying to several homes, each will need a copy of your assessment.
You only need to fill out the application form once - then you can make copies for sending to each aged care home you wish to apply to. Leave the signature section unsigned until you have all the copies you need, then sign each of them and forward one to each of the homes, with a copy of the assessment. Keep the original form.
If you are unable to sign the form and a family member or carer signs it for you, you will need to attach a copy of a document authorising that person to act for you.
Many of the homes may not have vacancies and possibly waiting lists, so, for this reason you may wish to apply to several suitable aged care homes so you are not depending on only one or two homes for a vacancy.
Even so, it might be some time before a vacancy occurs and one or more homes can offer you a place.
If you need help at home while you are waiting to move into an aged care home, there may be services available in your area that can assist you with day-to-day living. Commonwealth Respite and Carelink Centers can provide you with information on these services. Your ACAT or doctor also can provide advice.
During this time it's a good idea to get ready for your move, if you can. Sometimes it can take a long time to pack and make all the necessary arrangements. It is also a good time to apply for an assets assessment to find out if you are eligible to be a concessional or an assisted resident or to work out how much you may be asked to pay for your accommodation costs.
There are various levels of care offered at homes, these are as follows:
High-level care
High-level care is for people who need 24-hour nursing care. This may be because they are physically unable to move around and care for themselves, or because they have a severe dementia-type illness or other behavioral problems. Residents in high care must receive additional care and services at no additional cost.
Low-level care
Low-level care places are for people who need some help. Mostly, people in low-level care can walk or move about on their own.
Low-level care focuses on personal care services (help with dressing, eating, bathing etc.), accommodation, support services (cleaning, laundry and meals) and some allied health services such as physiotherapy. Nursing care can be given when required.
Most low-level aged care homes have nurses on staff, or at least have easy access to them.
Ageing in place
Ageing in place refers to aged care homes that offer both high- and low-level care, and to situations where it is possible to stay in the same home if your care needs increase.
Extra services
Some aged care homes may offer you a higher standard of accommodation, food and services for an additional daily fee. They may also charge an accommodation bond for both low and high-level care when receiving extra services.
End-of-life care
End-of-life care, or palliative care is care provided for people who have a life threatening illness, with little or no prospect of a cure, and for whom the primary treatment goal is quality of life. Palliative care in aged care homes aims to give the resident the best possible quality of life, reducing the need to move residents to another location such as a hospital or hospice.
Short-term care
Respite care in an aged care home is short-term care on a planned or emergency basis, where the person will ultimately return home.
Transitional care
The Transition Care Program is aimed at helping you improve your independence and confidence after a hospital stay. It works by providing low-intensity therapy and support as part of an ongoing but slower recovery process, giving you and your family more time to determine whether you can return home with additional support from community care services, or need to consider the level of care provided by an aged care home.
Cultural and identified needs
Some aged care homes offer specialised services for particular groups such as veterans, people who live in rural and regional areas, people with a disability, people who are culturally and linguistically diverse, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and people who are socially or financially disadvantaged.
Particular health conditions
Some aged care homes offer specialised facilities for particular conditions, such as dementia, mental health, falls, and continence management. If you require these services, you will need to discuss them with the managers of homes you are considering.
Multipurpose services (MPS)
Multi-Purpose Services (MPS) are designed specifically for rural and regional areas, and brings together a range of health and aged care services under one management structure.
Independent Living Units
Independent Living Units are residential communities that offer a range of services for independent older people, and are regulated by state and territory governments.
With a seemingly infinite amount of choice, obtaining the correct level of care for ourselves, our friends and relatives has become exceptionally confusing.
This page will allow you to access our comprehensive directory of facilities, each with a specific level of elderly care.
Click here to access the aged care facility list.
There are some important issues to consider when beginning to apply for care at any Australian Aged Care facility, agedcare.com.au have outlined these below:
Correct Accreditation
All residents of Australian aged care facilities have a number of rights and responsibilities that need to be made aware to them. In this way, residents can have a clear understanding of the day to day operations and policy's that have been implemented.
Aged Care standards and correct accreditation information can be obtained from www.accreditation.org.au
Charter of Residents Rights and responsibilities
A. Each resident of a residential care service has the right:
- To full and effective use of his or her personal, civil, legal and consumer rights.
- To quality care which is appropriate to his or her needs.
- To full information about his or her own state of health and about available treatments.
- To be treated with dignity and respect, and to live without exploitation, abuse or neglect.
- To live without discrimination or victimization, and without being obliged to feel grateful to those providing his or her care and accommodation.
- To personal privacy.
- To live in a safe, secure and homelike environment, and to move freely both within and outside the residential care service without undue restriction.
- To be treated and accepted as an individual, and to have his or her individual preferences taken into account and treated with respect.
- To continue his or her cultural and religious practices and to retain the language of his or her choice, without discrimination.
- To select and maintain social and personal relationships with any other person without fear, criticism or restriction.
- To freedom of speech.
- To maintain his or her personal independence, which includes a recognition of personal responsibility for his or her own actions and choices, even though some actions may involve an element of risk which the resident has the right to accept, and that should then not be used to prevent or restrict those actions.
- To maintain control over, and to continue making decisions about, the personal aspects of his or her daily life, financial affairs and possessions.
- To be involved in the activities, associations and friendships of his or her choice, both within and outside the residential care service.
- To have access to services and activities which are available generally in the community.
- To be consulted on, and to choose to have input into, decisions about the living arrangements of the residential care service.
- To have access to information about his or her rights, care, accommodation, and any other information which relates to him or her personally.
- To complain and to take action to resolve disputes.
- To have access to advocates and other avenues of redress.
- To be free from reprisal, or a well-founded fear of reprisal, in any form for taking action to enforce his or her rights.
B. Each resident of a residential care service has the responsibility:
- To respect the rights and needs of other people within the residential care service, and to respect the needs of the residential care service community as a whole.
- To respect the rights of staff and the proprietor to work in an environment which is free from harassment.
- To care for his or her own health and well-being, as far as he or she is capable
- To inform his or her medical practitioner, as far as he or she is able, about his or her relevant medical history and his or her current state of health.
Applying for resident positions
Applying to an aged care facility initially requires the completion of two forms. The first of which is called an Application for Respite Care or Permanent Entry to an Aged Care Home form, and the second form is what is referred to as a blue form. This form is called a Request for an Assets Assessment, which will help the government assess the level of financial assistance you or your loved ones are entitled to.
To download the forms, and begin your applications, simply click here
- Sit down with family and friends and the person going into care, unless he or she is very confused or agitated, and discuss why the decision has been made. Visit www.agedcare.com.au and find some suitable homes close by if possible. Talk about the financial implications of this move. Some homes can charge up to $4,000 + per month. Speak to your financial advisor or your social welfare office regarding help from Medicare if this is appropriate.
- Write a checklist of the things you would expect from the home. Go to several homes. Pay very close attentions of the staff, as these are going to be the people who will be primarily caring for your relative/friend. Watch carefully how they interact with the residents, families, fellow staff members and management. Do they speak to them in a caring, respectful way? Do the staff seem hurried and overworked, do they seem happy and cheerful and do the staff have all the correct equipment they need to care for your relative.
- Observe the environment, take note of unpleasant odors. Always check the bathrooms for safety, non slip floors and hand rails. Does the facility look clean and tidy? Look at the decor, the setup of the building and measures for ensuring the privacy and dignity of the residents. Ask to see a typical resident's room if possible. Notice any untidiness, because this can be an indication of neglect in other areas of care. Ask to see a recent inspector's report and when the facility was last accredited. Ask the manager about dietary requirements and activities for the residents. Visit the dining room and peer into the kitchen if possible and take note of the cleanliness and staff hygiene.
- Visit the home at different times of day, if you are seriously considering it for your relative/friend. Ask if it is possible for your relative/friend to spend some time in the home before their admission date. Take note of your relative/friends mood afterwards, do they seem happy in the environment, are they becoming agitated, sad etc. Expect the facility to have a welcoming procedure to help your relative/friend settle in.
