Aged care options - Placement Service

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).

Assessing your aged care options

Eligibility requirements

Types of aged care home