Find the right aged care for the people you love

Call My Aged Care on 1800 200 422. The assessment is free and conducted by a qualified team (usually a nurse or social worker) at your parent's home. It takes 1-2 hours and determines what level of care they're eligible for — Home Care Package levels, residential aged care, respite, or transition care. You'll receive a referral code by post within 2-4 weeks. Without an ACAT code, you cannot access subsidised aged care services.

Residential aged care costs include a Refundable Accommodation Deposit (RAD) of $400k-$1.2M (returned when you leave), the Basic Daily Care Fee of $61.96/day (paid by everyone), a means-tested care fee of 0-$32,718/year based on income and assets, and optional extra services fees. Total annual cost ranges from $30,000 (low-means residents) to $90,000+ (premium homes). In-home care via Home Care Packages is much cheaper: $7,500-$61,000/year depending on level.

These categories were abolished in 2014. Aged care homes now offer a mix of care levels and adjust as residents' needs change. Your level of subsidy is determined by the Aged Care Funding Instrument (ACFI) assessment done after admission. This means you don't need to move homes if your mum's needs increase — the same home will provide more support and the government subsidy will increase accordingly.

In metropolitan Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, and Perth, most homes have vacancies and placement can occur within 1-4 weeks of an ACAT assessment being completed. Premium homes in inner suburbs may have 3-12 month waitlists. Regional homes are typically faster (1-2 weeks). Specialist dementia care units are slower (4-12 weeks) due to limited bed numbers. If urgent placement is needed, a placement service can identify homes with same-week vacancies.

The government heavily subsidises aged care through the Aged Care Subsidy. The amount depends on a means assessment of your parent's income and assets. Low-means residents pay only the Basic Daily Care Fee ($61.96/day) and have their accommodation costs covered. Higher-means residents pay more, including a means-tested care fee up to $32,718/year and full accommodation costs (RAD or daily payment). Services Australia conducts the means assessment — submit forms SA457 (income) and SA485 (assets).

Generally yes, but with important exemptions. The family home is exempt from the means assessment if a "protected person" still lives there — this includes a partner, dependent child, carer who has lived there 2+ years, or close relative who has lived there 5+ years. If exempt, the home doesn't affect aged care fees. If not exempt, it's capped in the means assessment at $193,219 (2026 figure) regardless of actual value.

This is the most common financial question families face. Selling typically means using proceeds to pay the RAD ($400k-$1.2M), with surplus invested or held as accessible cash. Keeping means renting it out for income (which IS counted in means assessment) or leaving it empty. There are tax, Centrelink and aged care fee implications either way — speak to a financial adviser specialising in aged care (different from a regular financial planner). Many advisors offer a fixed-fee aged care advice package for $2,000-$5,000.

Visit at meal times to observe food quality and staff interaction. Ask for the most recent compliance audit (every home is required to share this). Talk to current residents and visiting family members. Check staff-to-resident ratios — under the new 2024 standards, homes must provide 215 care minutes per resident per day. Look at the activity calendar, smell the building (no strong cleaning chemicals masking poor hygiene), check call bell response times, and observe how staff speak to residents in passing.