Preparing for your future residential care needs

Information about residential aged care and pointing you in the right direction to the process of moving into aged care.

Nominating a representative

You may choose to authorise someone to be your nominated representative when dealing with us. A nominated representative can be a partner, adult relative, trustee, agent, legal representative or organisation. You can set up a nominated representative using MyService or by complete this form - Appointing a third party to represent a DVA client. 

For more information visit the nominated representative webpage.

Please note that this form only authorises representation with DVA. Other government departments or services may require you to create other arrangements. 

Information on representation arrangements for other departments can be found on the Help accessing aged care services page.

What is residential aged care?

Residential aged care or an aged care home provides around the clock care for people with complex care needs. You might consider moving into an aged care home when you are no longer able to live comfortably and safely in your own home.

The Australian Government may help pay for your accommodation costs in an aged care home, depending on your income and assets.

My Aged Care, administered by the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, is the aged care services gateway for all Australians, including DVA clients.

How to prepare

Being prepared for your future care needs is important and creating a plan can be very helpful for your family and friends in the event you need more services as you age. Please note that your veteran status does not offer you priority processing or access to aged care homes.

Unfortunately, many older people find they need to enter an aged care home while they are in hospital following an illness or medical event. This often leaves family members responsible for finding an aged care home on their behalf.

Doing some of the leg work early, while you are still able, can mean you get to choose and make your wishes known. It is a good idea to write down a plan with your decisions as you make them.

This plan can make it easier for your family and friends if you are in hospital or unable to make decisions about your future care needs.

DVA has two excellent resources to help our clients with this process.

• The veteran's guide to moving into an aged care home - download now or order a hard copy from the aged care resources page of the website.
• The Planning Ahead Kit to help you put your affairs in order and prepare for bereavement. 

Getting an aged care assessment

An aged care assessment will determine the level of care you need and identify options for you and your family.

The first step in moving into an aged care home is to register either on the My Aged Care website or by calling them on 1800 200 422. Once registered you can arrange an aged care assessment over the phone, or you can apply online by visiting the Apply for an aged care assessment webpage. This is the process for all Australians, including DVA clients.

The online application will take 15 to 20 minutes to complete, and you can use the same form to apply for all types of aged care, including help at home, short-term care and care in an aged care home.

After you submit your form, an assessment organisation will contact you. They will confirm your needs based on the information you have provided and arrange an assessment.

You will also receive a My Aged Care Welcome Pack in the mail containing helpful information and outlining what your next steps will be. You can track your application by logging in to your My Aged Care Online Account or calling 1800 200 422.

We encourage you to start this process early as it can take some time to get your first assessment, but it is quicker to get a reassessment if your circumstances change.

An aged care assessment will determine the type of aged care services you might need, such as Support at Home, residential aged care, or respite care, among others.

A social worker may be able to assist you with this process if you are in hospital and waiting to be transferred to an aged care home. Talk with your treating doctor or discharge planner should this be the case.

Once you are found eligible and approved, you will receive a letter advising you of the outcome of your application, containing the details of the different service types you have been approved for.

Finding an aged care home

The My Aged Care website has an online Find a Provider tool, which is a great place to start to look for an aged care home.

This tool provides information about aged care providers including results from the annual resident satisfaction surveys and how they rate against the aged care quality standards. Then you can create a short list of aged care homes you want to visit and questions you want to ask.

When preparing to visit aged care homes think about what is important to you.

We have developed a question sheet with room for you to add questions and make notes when visiting aged care homes. These questions have been developed with veterans and war widow(er)s in mind and can be found in The veteran's guide to moving into an aged care home.

There are also helpful brochures on moving into residential care and specifically about veterans’ needs in aged care, on the 10 questions to ask webpage.

It may be useful to keep notes of your experiences as you visit aged care homes. This will help you choose an aged care home that meets your care needs and has rooms, facilities, grounds and staff that make you feel comfortable.

It is a good idea to put your name on the wait list of the aged care homes you like, so they know you are interested in them. You should contact your chosen aged care home occasionally to remind them of your interest.

When a vacancy opens, you'll be informed either by the aged care home itself or your social worker. You may need to decide quickly if you want to move in.

It may be that the decision for you to move into an aged care home is unexpected. This often occurs because of a hospital admittance. In this case there may be a hospital social worker to help you and your family look for a suitable aged care home while you are in hospital. Talk with your treating doctor or the hospital’s discharge planner to see how they can help you.

If you do not plan early, this task of finding an aged care home may be left up to others who may not understand what is most important to you.

Help accessing aged care services

It’s no secret aged care can be confusing and it’s often difficult know where to start. You don’t have to do it alone. There are many services available through the government as well as independent services that can support you on your aged care journey.

The Help Accessing Aged Care Services page provides information on available support. There are also further support services to help you understand and navigate aged care.

You can explore these options by visiting the Getting support in aged care webpage on the My Aged Care website.

Other pages we think may interest you

• Aged care resources
• Understanding residential aged care costs
• Residential aged care means testing
• Residential aged care and your income support payment
• Supporting you in aged care
• Accessing DVA supports and services in aged care
• Accessing mental health support and staying connected
• Carer support
• Raising an aged care concern
• The new Aged Care Act