Short answer, yes.
There are typically two types of admissions into residential aged care.
The first is a permanent aged care admission. That means the person entering care will do so on a permanent basis – meaning they will reside at the aged care facility until they decide to transfer to another aged care facility, or otherwise depart.

The second type of admission is for a respite stay. This is a short term stay in an aged care facility – and typically lasts a few weeks. This type of admission is heavily subsidised by the Australian Government, and allows carers and other families to obtain a respite break.

Respite stays are organised in a slightly different manner. If you are seeking a short term respite stay Aged Care Decisions can prepare a customised list of suitable aged care options in your area.

Let us help you Find Aged Care.

Both ‘Power of Attorney’ and ‘Guardianship’ are legal terms relating to the authority that one person has to make decisions on behalf of another person. Both are relevant to aged care placement.

Power of Attorney
A person can appoint another person as their Power of Attorney, or ‘POA’ for short.
The decision to appoint another person as a POA is done through a formal written document. That document differs state by state, as do the laws relating to how a POA is created.
A POA can make both personal decisions (e.g. relating to medical care) and financial decisions (i.e. sign contracts) in place of another person.
There are typically two types of Power of Attorney that can be created:
General Power of Attorney – this appointment is typically done for a set period, or for a set reason
Enduring Power of Attorney – this appointment tyipically has no end date, and is done when a persons health or mental capacity may be decline.
Importantly, the person who has appointed a POA still retains their legal right to make decisions on their behalf.

Guardianship
Guardianship is a formal legal process that is commenced in a court or tribunal, the end point of which is to have a person appointed as the legal guardian of another person.
The exact process and requirements of guardianship differ state by state.
In an aged care context, a guardianship process may be used to appoint one or several people as legal guardians of an older person who has 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.