What Every Australian Family Should Know Before They Need Aged Care
Aged care is something many Australian families don’t think about until they suddenly have to.
A parent has a fall. Mum is struggling to shower safely. Dad is forgetting his medications. Someone is discharged from hospital and can no longer manage at home the way they did before.
Suddenly, the family is trying to understand assessments, government funding, home support, residential aged care, fees and providers while also dealing with the emotional reality that someone they love needs help.
It is much easier to understand the system before a crisis happens.
Australia’s aged care system also changed significantly in November 2025, so some advice families may have heard about Home Care Packages, ACAT assessments and aged care fees is now outdated.
Here is what Australian families should understand in 2026.
Start With My Aged Care
For government-funded aged care in Australia, the main starting point is My Aged Care.
You don’t need to wait until someone needs residential aged care.
My Aged Care can help older Australians access support to remain at home as well as assess people who may eventually need residential care.
The process generally begins by contacting My Aged Care and discussing what the person is finding difficult.
This might include things such as:
- showering and dressing
- preparing meals
- cleaning the house
- getting to appointments
- mobility
- managing safely at home
- memory or cognitive changes
- increasing care needs.
If it appears that government-funded aged care may be appropriate, the next step is generally an assessment.
Don’t Wait for a Crisis Before Asking for Help
One of the most useful things families can do is start asking questions early.
Needing some assistance at home doesn’t automatically mean someone needs to move into an aged care home.
In fact, a large part of Australia’s aged care system is designed around helping older people remain living at home.
Small amounts of support can sometimes make an enormous difference.
Someone might simply need help with cleaning, transport, personal care or making their home safer.
As needs increase, more substantial support may become appropriate.
Starting the process earlier gives the older person and their family more time to understand the options rather than trying to make every decision during a hospital admission or sudden decline.
Aged Care Assessments Have Changed
You may still hear people talk about RAS assessments or an ACAT/ACAS assessment.
Those terms were part of the previous system.
Australia now operates a Single Assessment System for government-funded aged care.
The aim is to provide a more consistent pathway as someone’s needs change.
Depending on the person’s circumstances, an assessment can determine eligibility for services including entry-level home support, Support at Home, respite care and residential aged care.
A family member, friend or other support person can generally be involved in the process if the older person wants them there.
When completing an assessment, don’t minimise what is happening.
Families sometimes describe how someone functions on their very best day.
The assessor needs to understand what everyday life is actually like, including the things the person struggles with.
There Are Different Ways to Receive Help at Home
Not everyone who needs aged care needs the same level of support.
Commonwealth Home Support Programme
The Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP) continues to provide entry-level assistance for eligible older Australians who need some help to remain independent at home.
Depending on assessed needs and local availability, this can include services such as domestic assistance, transport, meals, personal care, social support and some home maintenance.
The CHSP is expected to transition into the broader Support at Home system no earlier than July 2027.
Support at Home
The Support at Home program began on 1 November 2025.
It replaced the former Home Care Packages Program and Short-Term Restorative Care Programme.
Support at Home is designed for older people who require more coordinated assistance to continue living independently.
The program has eight ongoing classifications as well as separate short-term pathways for areas including restorative care, assistive technology and home modifications, and end-of-life care.
This means that if somebody tells you to simply “apply for a Level 1, 2, 3 or 4 Home Care Package”, they may be describing the previous system.
Residential Aged Care Is Another Option
There may eventually come a point where remaining at home is no longer safe or practical, even with additional support.
Residential aged care provides accommodation together with ongoing personal care and support.
People living in residential aged care may receive help with activities such as showering, dressing, mobility, meals and medication, as well as access to nursing and other care according to their needs.
Moving into residential care is a major decision.
Where possible, families should start discussing preferences before the decision becomes urgent.
Aged Care Costs Are More Complicated Than Most Families Expect
This is one area where planning ahead can make a major difference.
Government-funded aged care is subsidised, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it is free.
How much someone contributes depends on the type of care they receive, their circumstances and, for some costs, their financial position.
Support at Home Costs
Under Support at Home, the government funds approved services while participants may contribute towards some services.
How much someone contributes depends partly on the type of service and their financial circumstances.
Clinical services are treated differently from services such as independence support and everyday living assistance.
If you’re entering the system, don’t rely on what a friend or relative paid several years ago. The funding and contribution arrangements changed when Support at Home began.
Residential Aged Care Costs
Residential aged care costs can include several different components.
For many people entering residential aged care from 1 November 2025, these can include:
Basic daily fee
This helps cover everyday living costs such as meals, cleaning, laundry and utilities.
Hotelling contribution
Some residents may contribute an additional amount towards everyday living services depending on their financial circumstances.
Non-clinical care contribution
Some residents may contribute towards non-clinical care costs depending on their means.
Accommodation
There may also be a cost associated with the room itself.
The amount a person pays towards accommodation depends partly on their financial circumstances and the accommodation price of the home they choose.
Higher everyday living fee
Some aged care homes may offer additional or upgraded everyday living services for an extra fee.
The rules can differ for people who entered residential aged care under earlier arrangements, so don’t assume that another resident’s fees will be the same as yours.
Don’t Make Major Financial Decisions Too Quickly
The financial side of residential aged care can become complicated.
Families may suddenly find themselves making decisions involving:
- the family home
- superannuation
- the Age Pension
- investments
- accommodation payments
- ongoing aged care fees.
These decisions can interact with one another.
Selling the family home immediately isn’t automatically the right decision, nor is keeping it automatically the right decision.
Before making a major financial decision, consider getting advice from someone appropriately qualified who understands aged care finances.
Services Australia can also complete an aged care means assessment to determine the contributions that apply to a person’s circumstances.
Choosing an Aged Care Home Is About More Than How It Looks
A beautiful foyer doesn’t necessarily tell you what everyday life will be like.
When visiting an aged care home, pay attention to what is happening around you.
How do staff speak to residents?
Do residents appear comfortable around the staff?
Does the home feel calm?
Are staff rushing constantly?
What happens during meals?
What activities are available?
How does the home support people living with dementia?
What happens overnight?
How are families kept informed when something changes?
Ask questions about staffing and continuity of care rather than simply looking at the building.
For someone living with dementia in particular, familiar staff and consistent routines can be extremely important.
Visit More Than Once If You Can
A scheduled tour gives you one snapshot of a home.
If possible, visit again.
Different times of day can feel very different.
Mealtimes, evenings and weekends may tell you things that aren’t obvious during a quiet weekday tour.
Location matters too.
A home close enough for family and friends to visit regularly may offer something that can’t be measured by the size of the room or how new the building is.
Understand the Older Person’s Rights
Australia introduced a new Aged Care Act on 1 November 2025.
The system places greater emphasis on the rights of older people receiving aged care.
Older people should be involved in decisions about their own lives and care.
Needing help doesn’t mean losing the right to have preferences, make choices or be treated as an individual.
Families should continue involving the older person in decisions wherever possible rather than automatically taking control because care needs have increased.
Families Can Help Without Taking Over
One of the difficult parts of aged care is finding the balance between helping someone and making decisions for them.
It can be tempting for adult children to think:
“This is obviously what Mum needs.”
But Mum may have very different priorities.
She may care more about staying close to her garden than having a larger bedroom.
Dad may care more about being near his local community than moving into the newest facility.
Those preferences matter.
The goal should be to support the older person to participate in decisions as much as possible.
Advocacy Is Available
Families don’t have to navigate problems alone.
If you’re concerned about an aged care service, start by raising the issue with the provider where appropriate.
If the problem isn’t resolved, or you need outside assistance, there are independent services available.
The Older Persons Advocacy Network (OPAN) provides free and independent aged care advocacy.
The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission regulates Australian Government-funded aged care services and handles complaints about providers.
Knowing these services exist can make families feel much less powerless when something isn’t right.
Have the Important Conversations Before You Need Them
Aged care planning isn’t only about choosing a provider.
Families should also talk about what the older person actually wants.
Where would they prefer to live if they needed more help?
How important is remaining at home?
Who would they trust to help with decisions?
What matters most to them if their health deteriorates?
What sort of medical care would they want?
These aren’t always comfortable conversations.
But making decisions during a crisis without knowing what somebody wanted is considerably harder.
Get Important Legal Documents Organised
The exact legal documents available differ between Australian states and territories, but older Australians should consider getting appropriate advice about planning ahead.
Depending on where you live, this may involve documents covering financial decisions, personal or health decisions, advance care planning and a valid will.
Don’t wait until someone’s decision-making capacity is already in question before investigating these documents.
The terminology and legal requirements differ across Australia, so use the relevant information for your state or territory and obtain legal advice where appropriate.
Keep Important Information Somewhere the Family Can Find It
You don’t need an enormous folder full of paperwork.
But someone trusted should know where important information is kept.
That might include:
- Medicare and healthcare information
- medication lists
- GP and specialist details
- advance care planning documents
- legal documents
- insurance information
- financial contacts
- Centrelink information
- My Aged Care information
- emergency contacts.
You don’t necessarily need to give everyone access to everything.
The important thing is avoiding a situation where critical documents exist but nobody knows where they are.
A Simple Aged Care Plan for Families
You don’t have to understand the entire Australian aged care system today.
Start with a few conversations.
Ask your parents or older family members how they would like to be supported if they eventually need help.
Learn what My Aged Care does.
Know where important documents are kept.
If someone is already starting to struggle with everyday tasks, contact My Aged Care rather than waiting for things to become significantly worse.
And if residential care may eventually be necessary, start learning about local homes before you urgently need a bed.
The Bottom Line
The most important thing to understand about aged care is that you don’t have to wait until someone needs an aged care home before you start planning.
Support can begin much earlier.
An older person may need only a little assistance to continue living independently. Their needs may then change gradually over several years.
Understanding My Aged Care, getting assessed when help becomes necessary, organising important documents and talking openly about preferences can make that journey considerably easier.
The aged care system will probably still feel complicated.
But there’s a major difference between learning about it calmly around the kitchen table and trying to understand everything for the first time while somebody you love is lying in a hospital bed.
Start the conversation while you still have time.
This article provides general information about aged care in Australia and isn’t financial, legal or medical advice. Aged care programs, fees and eligibility rules can change. Check current information with My Aged Care, Services Australia and other relevant government services for your individual circumstances.
