Residential aged care offers social and nursing support to people with a wide range of interests and abilities 24hrs a day. From social outings and gatherings through to end-of-life care, residential aged care offers permanent, personal round-the-clock care.
Residential aged care is for senior Australians who can no longer live independently at home. The Australian Government funds residential aged care to make it more affordable and accessible.
Eligibility is based on need, determined through a face-to-face assessment.
You must be unable to live independently at home and can be either:
an older person.
a younger person with a disability, dementia or other special care needs not met through other specialist services.
Depending on your circumstances, you can choose to pay by
RAD: Refundable Accommodation Deposit; a government-guaranteed, one-off lump-sum payment that is largely returned when you leave.
DAP: Daily Accommodation Payment, for daily living costs such as food and lodging.
Or a combination of RAD and DAP.
Many aged care homes have waiting lists. When vacancies become available, they are allocated according to care requirements, urgency, time spent on the waiting list and suitability.
If you land a place in an aged care home, it’s important to be organised.
Residential aged care homes offer you a certain level of care, covered by the fees you have agreed to pay.
Some of the services are known as ‘hotel services’, which gives you a good idea of what to expect. Personal care is also included. Some residents need additional support, which may attract an extra fee.
While living in an aged care home may not have been something you envisioned for yourself or for your loved ones, there are some huge benefits to making the move to a facility that is all about making life easy. Here we go through what living in a care home can do for you!
An SRS/ SRF is a private-sector alternative to residential care, registered and monitored by the Department of Health and Human Services but not Government-funded and not covered by the 1997 Aged Care Act.
Most people in an aged care home are permanent residents.
Some places also offer respite care for short-term stays maximum 63 days a year.
Transition care may also be available for people moving from hospital back to their own home.
