LATEST NEWS
What's New in Australian Aged Care Services
Find the latest aged care information by browsing through our selection of important aged care information news and updates. Can’t find what you need?
Check out our Frequently Asked Questions or Contact Us to speak with our specialist team.
Latest Aged Care News
Latest Aged Care News
The Integrated Assessment Tool Explained: How Your Assessment Affects Your Support at Home Funding and Wait Time
The Integrated Assessment Tool (IAT) is the tool your assessor uses to record your care needs and circumstances. Find out how it affects your funding and place in the priority system.
Aged Care Assessment Review: You Have 28 Days to Request One
Not satisfied with the outcome of your aged care assessment? You have 28 days to request a review. We explain what to include, how internal reviews work and when reassessment may be more appropriate.
What to Do While Waiting for Support at Home Funding
Waiting for Support at Home funding? Discover practical steps to manage care needs, explore financial assistance for family carers, compare local providers, and navigate interim funding options while you wait.
Aged Care Assessment Review: You Have 28 Days to Request One
Support at Home for Self-Funded Retirees: Costs Explained
What Is the Club Sandwich Generation?
Aged Care for Elderly Parents: How to Coordinate Care for Two Parents
The Integrated Assessment Tool Explained: How Your Assessment Affects Your Support at Home Funding and Wait Time
Moving Into Residential Aged Care: What Happens to Your Support at Home Funding?
Sandwich Generation Caregiving: Caring for an Ageing Parent from Another City or State
Why Did My Support at Home Contribution Rates Suddenly Change?
Care for Ageing Parents: How to Start Arranging Aged Care Support
National Carers Week: Make the Care You Give Visible in an Aged Care Assessment
Aged Care Fees & Charges
Aged Care Fees & Charges
Support at Home for Self-Funded Retirees: Costs Explained
Support at Home for self-funded retirees explained, including what services are fully funded, contribution costs, provider pricing and ways to compare value.
What Is the Club Sandwich Generation?
What is the club sandwich generation? The term describes people supporting three or more generations at once, most often an ageing parent plus a grandchild or an adult child. It’s usually associated with people in their 50s and 60s.
Aged Care for Elderly Parents: How to Coordinate Care for Two Parents
When both parents need aged care, each needs their own assessment. See how sandwich generation families can fit two care arrangements together.
Support at Home Levels 1-8 Explained: What Each Classification Means
Support at Home classifications, often called Support at Home levels, run from 1 to 8 and set the funding for your ongoing services. Here’s what each classification means, how yours is decided and what it does and doesn’t
Stuck On The Waitlist? How The Support at Home ‘Priority System’ Actually Works
Approved for Support at Home but no start date in sight? You’re not alone. The new Priority System has changed how funding is released, now your priority category determines how long you’ll wait
Support at Home Classification 1: Understanding Basic Home Care
Support at Home Classification 1 refers to a basic or introductory level of home care assistance. It is intended for people with low-level needs, meaning they do not require intensive medical care or around-the-clock supervision, but may struggle
Residential Aged Care
Residential Aged Care
What Is the Club Sandwich Generation?
What is the club sandwich generation? The term describes people supporting three or more generations at once, most often an ageing parent plus a grandchild or an adult child. It’s usually associated with people in their 50s and 60s.
Aged Care for Elderly Parents: How to Coordinate Care for Two Parents
When both parents need aged care, each needs their own assessment. See how sandwich generation families can fit two care arrangements together.
Sandwich Generation Caregiving: Caring for an Ageing Parent from Another City or State
Sandwich generation caregiving from another city or state can be managed with the right plan. Learn how to arrange care, compare providers and stay involved remotely.
Respite Care
Respite Care
New Centrelink Asset Test Limits for July 2026
Each 1 July, the government indexes a range of Centrelink thresholds to keep pace with the cost of living. This round focuses on income limits and thresholds, and affects Aged Pension and Aged care costs.
How to Book Residential Respite Care for the Holidays
If you are considering residential respite this summer, it’s best to book 6–8 weeks in advance. Holiday periods fill quickly, and early planning gives you the best chance of securing a place that suits your family’s needs.
How to get respite care | govt-funded short-term residential respite
How can you get respite care for yourself or your loved one? Let’s look at how government-funded short-term residential respite care works. When you, or the person caring for you, needs a break from your everyday routine, residential respite care
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the first step?
The first step is typically undergoing an Aged Care Assessment so that the person entering care can secure Australian Government funding.
Read more about aged care assessments in the Getting Started page.
Can someone enter Aged Care temporarily?
Yes! Typically there are two types of admissions into residential aged care:
The first is a ‘permanent aged care admission’, meaning the person entering care will do so on a permanent basis. They can reside at the aged care facility until they decide to transfer to another aged care facility, or otherwise depart with this option.
The second type of admission is a ‘respite stay’. A respite stay is a short term stay that typically lasts a few weeks. This type of admission is heavily subsidised by the Australian Government, and allows carers and other families to take a much needed respite break when they need.
If you are looking for a respite stay, these are organised in a slightly different manner. Aged Care Decisions can quickly and easily prepare a customised list of suitable respite options to suit your individual needs.
How can we find aged care vacancies?
Finding a vacancy is unfortunately not as easy as booking a hotel room.
Aged care facilities need to look closely at the care needs of the person entering care to ensure any vacant rooms are suitable. Different facilities offer different types of care, and even within a nursing home, different ‘wings’ or parts of cater to different needs.
Let us make it simple and easy by using our tried and trusted process to prepare a customised list of matching aged care providers for you.
Our 100% free aged care help service allows you to shortlist and tour a range of nursing home options. All of which have already been vetted for you to match your desired care needs, preferences and budget.
What is Power of Attorney & Guardianship?
Both ‘Power of Attorney’ and ‘Guardianship’ are legal terms relating to the authority someone has to make decisions on behalf of another. Let us help explain why both are relevant when finding a place for someone in care:
Power of Attorney
A person can appoint another person as their Power of Attorney, or ‘POA’ for short.
Appointing a POA is done through a formal written document that differs state by state. The laws relating to how a POA is created also vary, so be sure to check what is relevant to you.
A POA can make both personal decisions (e.g. relating to medical care) and financial decisions (i.e. sign contracts) for another person.
There are typically two types of a Power of Attorney that can be created:
- General Power of Attorney – this type of appointment is typically done for a set period, or for a set reason.
- Enduring Power of Attorney – this type of appointment does not typically have an end date, and is usually done when a persons health or mental capacity may be decline.
Most importantly, it’s good to know that the person who has appointed a POA, still retains their legal right to make decisions on their own behalf.
Guardianship
Guardianship is the formal legal process of having a person appointed as the legal guardian of another person in a court or tribunal. The process and requirements of guardianship differ in each state.
In the context of aged care, a guardianship process may be used to appoint one or several people as legal guardians of an older person with an impaired capacity to make decisions in their own best interest.
In plain English, guardianship allows one or several people to override the legal decision making capacity of another person.
What forms do we have to fill out when entering Aged Care?
There are two types of forms you will need to fill out when applying to enter aged care:
- Centrelink Forms – Read the Centrelink page to work out which forms are needed for your particular circumstance. All the Centrelink forms you need can be downloaded straight from the Centrelink website.
- Aged Care Facility Application Forms – You may be able to find these by searching the individual aged care service’s website. Short on time? Eliminate this process by using our 100% Free Application Service here.
Who is Aged Care Decisions?
Aged Care Decisions is a 100% independently owned and operated organisation helping families simplify the search for residential aged care, respite care and home care in Australia.
Founded in 2013 by two friends undergoing the search and application process themselves, they decided that more aged care help was needed for other families going through the same process. Families need an easy way to gather the right information and make informed decisions for their loved ones. The team at Aged Care Decisions can offer un-biased recommendations because it is not owned or controlled by any particular aged care service provider.
Read more about Aged Care Decisions here.
We also have a Voluntary Code of Conduct, which enshrines our commitment to transparency, impartiality and accountability.
Is this service really 100% free of charge?
Yes, we can assure you that our service is really 100% free of charge for families. No catches. No hidden fees.
How does Aged Care Decisions get paid?
Our service is a 100% free of charge aged care help service for Australian families. No if’s, no but’s, and no hidden charges.
We are able to provide this service for you by charging aged care providers a set, industry standard services fee for undertaking customer service & admissions services on their behalf.
You can have piece of mind knowing that under Australian law this fee cannot be passed onto you – under any circumstance.
How does this work?
Every aged care facility in Australia pays the exact same amount – regardless of who they are, or who the person entering care is.
Our unique model means that we have no financial motivation to recommend one facility over another. The fee to aged care service providers is exactly the same regardless of your financial status, RAD or care level.
We also offer the option for families to fully utelise our service and still choose not to select a facility introduced by our team. You are always in control at every stage of the process, regardless of the outcome.
Best of all, if you decide not to used one of the service providers we find, our service will still remain 100% free of charge.
Our only desire is that you and your family select an aged care facility that meets your needs.
We want to reduce the time and stress involved, by matching you with vacancies that meet your care needs, budget, location and other preferences.
How can we guarantee that you get the support you need?
Aged Care Decisions is an Australian Aged Care Agency providing a 100% Free Placement Service for Australian families.
It is our guarantee that all residents and families get the aged care help they need, whatever their aged care journey might be. For more information on how we pride ourselves in ensuring your family is taken care of, view our Client Support Guarantee.
What services does Aged Care Decisions provide?
We provide end-to-end support throughout the process of connecting Australian families, to providers and health professionals in the aged care industry.
For Families:
We support everyday families in their quest to find a vacancy in a nursing home or an availability in a home care service. The options we provide for you have been carefully selected to match your care needs, preferences and budget based on the information you give us. You can begin this process with us here.
For Aged Care Providers:
Aged Care Decisions supports aged care providers by providing highly qualified placement referrals in need of your nursing home, respite care and home care services.
For Health Professionals:
We support Health Professionals in providing an emergency placement service for families needing to place a loved one who is discharging from hospital.