Aged Care

Aged Care is an industry to which there are many aspects. From this page you can go to the About Seniors Aged Care A to Z guide which will help you understand all the industry terminology. Plus there’s a section updating you on the latest news and information on the difficult issue of Elder Abuse. If you’re looking for aged care accommodation, you’ll find our housing options page useful. The Aids and Equipment section offers a practical resource guide for all your household and personal needs. And last but not least, go to the Carers’ Connections page, and you’ll find informative resources and articles about these important and often undervalued community members.

Entering aged-care

About Seniors subscriber, Heidi, has recently moved her mother into an aged-care facility.  What is Centrelink’s two year ruling on the sale of her mother’s home.

Q. Heidi
My mother has just entered residential high level care in an aged-care facility. There is no accommodation bond just an accommodation charge and the daily basic care fee payable but I believe there is some kind of “two year ruling” regarding Centrelink and the sale of her home. Can you please explain this to me her daughter?

A. If a pensioner vacates their principal home to enter a care situation, their home continues to be an exempt asset under the assets test for a two year period and the person continues to be assessed as a homeowner. This provision applies irrespective of whether the person intends to return their principal home or not.
A care situation includes:
· community based care - where care is provided in a private home for 14 consecutive days or more
· nursing homes
· long term hospital stay
· hostels - approved aged care homes that receive subsidies under the Aged Care Act 1997.

If, after two years, the person has not returned to their principal home:
· the pensioner is treated as a non-homeowner and the higher asset limits are apply, and
· the person’s principal home is counted an assessable asset

Please also note that the principal home can be exempted indefinitely under the assets test if:
· the pensioner entered a care situation on or after 1 July 2004, and
· the resident is accruing a liability to pay an accommodation charge, and
· their principal home is rented.
(The rent received is also exempt from the income test for the period that the principal home is exempt under the income test.)

For more information, call Centrelink’s Financial Information Service on 13 2300.

Aged care complaints review

There have been many questions raised about the process of dealing with complaints made against aged care facilities.  This has lead to a review of the process and offers you the chance to have your say.

Public input is being sought on the operation of the Aged Care Complaints Investigation Scheme (CIS) which was introduced in May 2007.  The aim of the scheme is to address concerns about the service or quality of care being provided to elderly Australians receiving Commonwealth funded aged care services.

The review is considering aspects of the CIS including:

· processes, practices and timelines of responses to complaints
· communication between CIS and stakeholders
· training provided to investigators
· framework used for escalation of complaints
· relationship between the CIS, Aged Care Commissioner, Aged Care Standards and Accreditation Agency Ltd and other relevant bodies.

Public submissions close on Friday 28 August 2009 and can be made via the Department of Health and Ageing website.

Carer Programs

A carer is a person who, through family relationship or friendship, looks after a frail older person or someone with a disability or chronic illness. Caring can be demanding so that carers themselves can need support. The Australian Government has a range of programs and initiatives which support carers.