




Choosing an aged care home is a major decision. This article is designed to help you ask the right questions so that you’re happy with your choice. If you still have questions, contact CareAbout and we can help guide you toward an option that best suits your needs.
If you or a significant other is facing (with understandable trepidation) the prospect of moving into a Home, it may be reassuring to know that you’re not alone. There were 231,000 older Australians in permanent residential care in 2014-15 with many families having made the same difficult decisions as you.
Knowing when and how to make the next step towards Aged Care Homes can be overwhelming. Maybe you or your loved one already has Care at Home but daily needs are changing? There comes a time when needs can no longer be met at home from a safety and health perspective. This is a sure sign it is time to explore your options in the world of Aged Care Homes.
You want to start your research as early as possible. That way you have time to explore all options and get to understand the different services and facilities on offer. If you leave it too late you may be rushed into a decision, one that you may regret. The best place to start is CareAbout. CareAbout explains how the system works, discusses your personal circumstances with you and helps you determine the best type of care for your needs. We can then match you with a suitable provider in your area – all for no cost.
Not all Aged Care Homes are the same. They can offer different services at wildly different fees. You don’t want to be paying for something you don’t really need; and you want to make sure that as your needs change, you will have access to the services you require without needing to move to a different Home. So a good place to start is to think about your needs. Ask yourself:
When the time comes to start selecting an Aged Care Home, it is a great idea to create a checklist of questions and required information. Obviously, the checklist may feature items applicable to your particular circumstances, however, here are some questions/information you can use as a starting point.
One of the biggest complaints received about aged care homes concerns fees, specifically the ‘hidden surprises’. That’s why it is essential that you know up-front exactly what you are paying for. You can find out about the various fee types here, but it’s the additional fees that you need to be most aware of. Some Homes offer the option to pay for a more premium service. Additional Services may include: higher quality meals, greater meal choices, a higher standard of accommodation fixtures and fittings, newspaper delivery, and so on. Some homes may also charge one-off entry or exit fees or other daily fees, so it is important that you ask about all additional fees at the outset.
Whether residential, respite, dementia or palliative, the most suitable Aged Care Home is not always easy to understand, and individual needs can change quickly.
Residential Aged Care
There are two types of Aged Care services provided in Residential Aged Care Homes – residential and respite. While residential care is ongoing and permanent, respite is designed to be literally that – a short-term break for older people and their carers. Respite care might be an option for a loved one if there is a disruption in their usual Care at Home, or perhaps they need to recover from a hospital admission. Respite care can sometimes be a stepping stone to more permanent care.
Respite Care
This is usually in the same location as residential care but short term, rather than on a permanent basis. Respite care is an option when Home Care is disrupted, if the carer needs a break, or for recovery after a hospital admission. Respite care can sometimes be a stepping stone to more permanent care.
Dementia Care
Many people living with dementia can sustain their life at home with the assistance of in-home carers but there may come a time when more round-the-clock support is needed. For this there are Aged Care Homes with a dementia focus. These Homes offer carers specially trained in dementia designed to improve the quality of life for sufferers. They also offer specific activities to engage dementia sufferers, with a focus on the person first, and the illness second. Finding a Home catering for a specific dementia level can be greatly assisted by speaking with a CareAbout advisor.
Palliative Care
Challenging decisions about care are never more so when it involves an illness from which your loved one is not expected to recover. Palliative or ‘end of life’ care is a special form of round-the-clock care administered by those specially trained in the sensitive time that is dignified end-of-life. At a time of intense physical, psychological, social and spiritual need, a good palliative facility will support and uplift at this most challenging moment.
All aged care is not the same. Sometimes you get what you pay for, but you can also find yourself in the situation of paying more for less. When investigating Aged Care Homes, here are 10 things to look for or to ask regarding care and services.
Entering an Aged Care Home should not mean losing your voice. It should not mean you have to accept the unacceptable. Make sure that the Homes you are considering will allow you to have a say in how the home is run. Ask if there is a resident committee that can provide feedback. You should also ask about complaints mechanisms and how disagreements between the Home and resident are resolved.
The main concern for every Aged Care Home should be the care and needs of the individual residents, now and for the future. Unfortunately, not all aged care homes make this their priority. Not all Aged Care Homes are the same. CareAbout can assist you in finding the right Aged Care Home for your needs, in your area, for your budget.