Respite care is short term care for an older person that gives the person who usually cares for them a break. It can happen at home, at a day centre, overnight in a cottage, or in an aged care home for a few days or several weeks.

The aged care means test is an assessment of the older person’s income and assets by Services Australia. It decides how much they contribute towards their care, both at home under Support at Home and in an aged care home.

Support at Home is the Australian Government program that funds aged care at home. It replaced the Home Care Packages Program and Short-Term Restorative Care on 1 November 2025.

ACAT no longer exists under that name. Aged care assessments are now done by the Single Assessment Service, using a questionnaire and algorithm called the Integrated Assessment Tool, and the algorithm, not the assessor, decides the funding classification.

Your parent or friend needs residential aged care, and you are trying to make the right decision. But as you begin talking to different homes, each conversation seems to reveal another fee, making an already difficult process feel even more overwhelming.

When someone rings us at this point, we do not start with aged care. We start by asking whereabouts in the journey they are, because the answer changes everything that follows.

We see this regularly. A family is offered free help finding an aged care home or a Support at Home provider, and nobody has explained how that service is being paid. Usually it is paid by the provider it recommends, once the older person signs on to the service.

An assessor from the Single Assessment Service (formerly ACAT) goes through a structured series of questions with you about how you manage day to day with key tasks such as showering, dressing, meals, medications, getting around the house and leaving the house.

Retirement living, assisted living and residential aged care are often spoken about as though they are the same thing. They are not, and the difference matters.

If someone you love is in residential aged care and enjoying the benefits of an additional services package, there is a deadline worth knowing about.
All existing additional service and extra service fee agreements will cease on 31 October 2026.

When we talk about men’s health, we usually talk about check-ups, heart health, exercise, mental wellbeing and social connection. There is another part of men’s health that is often less visible: the wellbeing of men who are caring for someone they love.

For many older people, the GP is trusted and familiar, and will have a sense of the person’s history, family context and local service options. The practice nurse is an important part of the picture too, helping with assessments, follow-up and noticing changes over time.

Palliative care for older people can work alongside aged care and Support at Home to provide comfort, symptom support and guidance for families at end of life. Palliative care is about getting the right care, in the right place, at the right time for a person with a life-limiting illness. This means an illness or condition that is expected to shorten a person’s life, such as advanced cancer, heart failure, lung disease, kidney disease, dementia, neurological conditions or increasing frailty.

There is often a point where concern about an older parent shifts into something bigger. At first, it may be a few extra phone calls, more trips to the shops, help with appointments, or keeping a closer eye on medications. Then, slowly, it becomes more than that. One person is doing most of the checking in. Someone is carrying the worry.

Some of the hardest family conversations are the ones people put off because they care so much. Talking to an older parent or family member about getting help is often one of them. You may be noticing falls, missed medication, an empty fridge, unopened mail, poor eating, increasing forgetfulness, or simply the sense that everyday life is becoming harder than it used to be.

Choosing the right residential aged care home for someone with dementia is one of the most significant decisions a family will make. For some families, the move follows hospitalisation after a fall. For others, it follows gradual progression, particularly when someone is living with dementia.

Susan had been managing at home for some time, supported by friends and a Support at Home package. But gradually, everyday routines became harder, confidence slipped, and living alone began to feel less safe.

One day, an older parent is unwell and suddenly admitted to hospital. The next, the medical crisis has stabilised, and attention turns to getting them home.

When it comes to planning as we age, understanding the different types of accommodation options in Australia is essential. Many of us feel confused by terms like “retirement living”, “assisted living” and “residential aged care”…”

Waiting for government-funded help at home can feel slow and frustrating. Whether you are on the waitlist for Support at Home (previously Home Care Packages) or receiving some services through CHSP, weeks can turn into months.