Once you’ve accepted a suitable room, the aged care home will help formalise the offer.
There will be two agreements that cover all the essential details before you enter an aged care home. These might be given to you as separate documents or the service and accommodation agreements may be combined into one. These are the typical agreements:
- Service agreement – sets out a range of details, including the care and services the aged care home will provide and how much you will be asked to help pay for them
- Accommodation agreement – sets out which room you are taking and how much you have agreed to pay, as well as other accommodation conditions, if relevant
There is one optional agreement type that you may also be asked to consider:
- Higher everyday living agreement – only applies if you choose to access the higher everyday living services offered by the aged care home; this agreement will set out the additional services you choose, how much you will be asked to pay, and other conditions.
On this page
What’s in the service agreement?
The service agreement is a legal agreement with your aged care home. It covers the following aspects of your care.
What’s in the accommodation agreement?
All residents must enter into an accommodation agreement before entering permanent care. The accommodation agreement covers the following aspects of your room.
What’s in the higher everyday living agreement?
A higher everyday living agreement is optional and can only be signed once you have entered care. You cannot be asked to sign the agreement to secure a room.
The agreement must be in writing and must be separate from all other agreements. The agreement will specify each service to be charged for, the amount of fees for each service and the frequency of charges.
If the service to be charged for is of a higher standard than required by the residential care service list, then the agreement will specify the standard at which the service will be delivered. Similarly, if the service is outside those in the service list, full details of the service to be delivered will be included.
The fees charged under the agreement will also be subject to indexation annually, on 1 July each year, in line with the Consumer Price Index (CPI).
After agreeing to a higher everyday living fee you will have 28 days to change your mind and cancel the agreement. After this time you can still cancel or vary the agreement at any time, by giving your provider 28 days’ notice.
What should I know before entering into agreements?
When you’re happy with the terms of the agreement(s), you can ‘enter into an agreement’. This is usually done by signing the agreement(s) to declare that you understand and accept them. Accommodation agreements and service agreements must be entered into before you enter care. There is no time limit to sign the service agreement, but it’s in your best interest to agree to the arrangements that cover your rights and responsibilities as soon as possible.
If you change your mind and want to withdraw from the service agreement before you enter care, you have a 14-day cooling off period from the date you agreed.
If you change your mind within this 14-day period, let your aged care home know in writing straight away. You must do this before you enter care.
Can someone help me understand the agreements?
The agreements are legally binding documents, and it’s important you understand what they contain before you agree to them.
If you have any questions, ask your aged care home beforehand. It’s their job to make sure it all makes sense to you. You can also ask family, friends, carers or a legal professional for help.
Read more about how you can register a supporter.
Advocacy
You can also ask for an advocate to represent you or help you develop your agreements with your provider.
An advocate is an impartial person who can help you understand, access and manage your aged care.
An advocate can help by:
- participating in the discussion about your aged care home agreements
- talking about any concerns you may have.
They will listen to your situation and provide free, confidential and independent information and support. You can find out more by visiting the Older Persons Advocacy Network website.
Language support
It’s important that you understand what you are signing. If you need a translator or interpreter, you can call TIS National on 131 450. Tell the operator the language you speak and ask the interpreter to call My Aged Care on 1800 200 422.
For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander interpreting services, call my Aged Care on 1800 200 422 and ask for an interpreter.
For a sign language interpreter, contact us through the National Relay Service (NRS) by selecting your preferred channel on the NRS website and then ask the operator to call us on 1800 200 422.