Applying for residential care

Eldercare • Applying for residential care Search the site Applying for residential care We understand that the process of moving into aged care can be daunting. We’ve broken it down into four easy-to-follow steps. Aged care services Our aged care homes Applying for residential care Programs and services Frequently asked questions Aged care registration, standards and rights Policies and fact sheets Step 1: Apply for an assessment If you haven’t already done so, your first step should be to apply for an aged care assessment. For more information, call My Aged Care on 1800 200 422 or visit the My Aged Care website. Your assessment will determine the type and level of care that you are eligible to receive with government support. To learn more, visit 'Aged care needs assessments' Step 2: Understand the costs and payment options The costs associated with Eldercare’s homes are outlined on each location’s page.The cost of residential aged care is made up of four elements:• Accommodation• Hotelling• Care• Additional feesYour personal financial circumstances will determine how much you will be required to contribute. AccommodationYou can think about this as being equivalent to renting or buying your room.Depending on your means assessment, the government may fund all or part of this cost. If you are required to pay or contribute towards your accommodation costs, there are three options:1. a lump sum payment (known as a RAD – refundable accommodation deposit)2. ongoing, non-refundable rental-style payments (known as DAP – daily accommodation payments)3. or a combination of both (i.e. part refundable deposit and the rest through smaller, non-refundable payments)You will have 28 days once you enter care to decide which method you will choose. View article 'What is the RAD and DAP in aged care?' HotellingThose that are assessed as having the means to do so will be required to pay the hotelling supplement contribution (HSC). This fee contributes to hotelling services such as meal preparation, cleaning and laundry.CareCare fees cover day-to-day assistance from carers, nursing staff, Allied Health clinicians, and wellbeing activities. There are two elements of the care fee:1. Basic daily fee - which everyone moving into an aged care home is required to pay and is set at 85% of the single Centrelink aged pension.2. Non-clinical care contribution - which is an additional contribution towards the cost of non-clinical care such as bathing, mobility assistance and provision of lifestyle activities. Only people who are assessed as having the means to pay the full hotelling supplement contribution will be required to pay this contribution. The non-clinical care contribution is subject to a lifetime cap.Additional feesSome aged care homes provide a higher standard of accommodation and extra hotel-type services such as wine with meals, special refreshments, access to Netflix® and high speed wifi, daily newspapers and regular outings. These are often ‘bundled’ for an additional daily fee.You will also pay additional fees for personalised services such as hairdressing, optical services and for your medications.For more information visit the My Aged Care website or contact us to talk about the costs and payment options available. You might also seek advice from a specialist financial advisor. Step 3: Apply for suitable facilities View each of Eldercare’s aged care homes, then once you understand your care needs and budget, it is time to submit an application online or by phone with our admissions team on 1300 925 414. Step 4: Accept an offer and move in When a suitable room becomes available you will be contacted by Eldercare to arrange a tour. You may be formally offered the room following the tour. Due to the level of demand, you will usually have just 24 hours to accept or decline the offer. Once you have accepted an offer, we will arrange a moving in day with you. We welcome your feedback Every comment, compliment, suggestion and complaint we receive presents an opportunity for us to review the service we offer. Submit Feedback