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Site Updated
2nd March 2010
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Assessing
your aged care options
The category of aged care home that will be applicable
to your family requirements will be largely dependent upon the result of
the Aged Care Assessment undertaken by the Aged Care Assessment Team (ACAT).
More information
about ACAT's.
Eligibility requirements
Eligibility requirements for residential care are set
out in the Act and the Aged Care Principles (the Principles). These considerations
and requirements are the legal criteria which a person must meet before
being approved for residential care.
ACATs are required to assess people in accordance with these criteria and
only approve those who are assessed as requiring this type of care.
Section 21-2 Aged Care Act 1997
Eligibility to receive residential care. A person is eligible to receive
residential care if:
1. the person has physical, medical, social or psychological needs that
require the provision of care; and
2. those needs cannot be met more appropriately through non-residential
care services; and
3. the person meets the criteria (if any) specified in the Approval of Care
Recipient Principles as the criteria that a person must meet in order to
be eligible to be approved as a recipient of residential care.
Subsection 21-2(c) above requires that a person meet the criteria set out
in the Approval of Care Recipients Principles before being approved for
residential care.
Section 5.5 Approval of Care Recipients Principles 1997 Residential Care
A person is eligible to receive residential care only if:
the person is assessed as:
1. having a condition of frailty or disability requiring at least low level
continuing personal care ; and
2. being incapable of living in the community without support; and
3. meeting any other eligibility criteria for the level of care assessed
for the person that are set out in the classification level applicable under
the Classification Principles 1997; and. for a person who is not an aged
person there are no other care facilities more appropriate to meet the persons
needs.
In deciding if the criteria mentioned in subsection (1) are met, the Secretary
must consider the persons medical, physical, psychological and social circumstances,
including (if relevant):
1. evidence of medical condition, as decided by suitably qualified medical
personnel;
2. evidence of absence or loss of physical functions, as established by
assessment of capacity to perform daily living tasks;
3. evidence of absence or loss of cognitive functioning,
as established by:
a medical diagnosis of dementia or other condition; or
assessment of capacity to perform daily living tasks; or
evidence of behavioural dysfunction;
evidence of absence or loss of social functioning
It is the balance and mix of function and disability, social support needs
and availability of community care services that must be considered when
assessing a persons need for residential aged care.
ACATs should consider both the level of services and the intensity of services
required to meet the needs of the person in determining whether a residential
aged care facility will be able to adequately meet the assessed needs of
the person.
Some people may have special needs that may be best met by residential aged
care facilities that offer specific kinds of care, such as that provided
in dementia specific facilities.
If this is the case, then ACATs should note this on the Aged Care Client
Record (ACCR). ACATs should also ensure that they provide every person approved
for residential care with a copy of the 5 Steps to Residential Care Booklet.
The ACAT should be able to provide the person with a list of available residential
aged care facilities in their area, but the final choice is made by the
person, their family, and the receiving service provider.
In order to achieve the best results and to help ensure an informed decision,
ACATs should encourage the person and their family to visit residential
aged care facilities operating in their area and to place their names on
the waiting lists of those facilities they prefer.
Families could also be encouraged to visit the departments web site at:
www.health.gov.au, for information on care standards and specified care
and services or visit the Accreditation and Standards Agency at: www.accreditation.org.au/
for information on specific facilities.
It is important to note that the service provider will make the final decision
as to whether the person can be appropriately cared for in their facility.
Types of aged care home Low level
care is that which was formerly provided by "hostels" and high level care by "nursing
homes." The essential difference is that hostels provide only some level of nursing
care while nursing homes provide 24 hour nursing care. Some homes provide
only low level care and some only high level, while many now provide both so that
you can "age in place." If you enter a home that specialises in low
level care you may have to move to a high level home if you become more frail.
High level care is usually 24 hour nursing care combined with accommodation,
support services (cleaning, laundry and meals), personal care services (help with
dressing, eating, toileting, bathing and moving around) and allied health services
(physiotherapy, occupational therapy, recreational therapy and podiatry). |
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