Connecting with aged care homes

Many factors can influence where you want to stay, such as surroundings, people, and services. Use the tool to see a list of homes in your chosen area. You can also see where they are on a map to check how close they are to family, friends, public transport, and to the places you may regularly want to visit.

You may want to think about the size and type of room you want. There are single and shared room options, most with ensuites. There are rooms of different sizes and decor, and this variation can sometimes affect the cost. For information on how to work out costs and how much you may need to pay, read our aged care homes costs and fees page.

All aged care homes must provide support for people with cultural and diverse needs. Some offer specialised services for particular needs such as languages, religions, or background. These preferences can be included in your Find a provider search to help narrow down your choices and create a more tailored list.

Not all aged care homes have availability for new residents. Depending on when you would like to move, you may need to apply sooner rather than later. You can see aged care homes with current availability using the Find a provider tool and contact them for confirmation. Then, you can add aged care homes to your shortlist, based on when you want to move.

The quality of care provided by an aged care home is an important consideration when choosing an aged care home. Star Ratings will help you compare the safety and quality of care delivered in aged care homes. Aged care homes receive an Overall Star Rating and a rating across four key areas: Residents’ Experience, Compliance, Staffing and Quality Measures. Aged care homes get a rating between one and five stars with more stars meaning a home provides higher quality care.  

All aged care homes have to meet the Aged Care Quality Standards. If they don’t meet these Quality Standards, they may receive a formal regulatory notice from the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission. You can look for an aged care home’s current and non-current compliance notices by using Find a provider's name search function. This information is in the 'Compliance' tab of a provider’s profile.

Read more on quality in aged care.

By looking at an aged care home’s expenses, income and budget, you can see how they spend, earn, and manage money. This information, combined with other sources of information such as Star Ratings, can help you learn more about the provider you’re interested in.

You can use this information to compare aged care homes and help decide which is the best fit for you. The information can also help you prepare questions to ask providers if something isn’t clear or if you want to know more.

You can see a summary of an aged care home’s income and expenses in the Finance and operations section on a provider’s profile page in Find a provider. You can also read more about how to interpret and understand providers’ financial information and what it means for you when choosing an aged care home.

Take a copy of your aged care home approval letter and support plan as this can help explain what care and services you need. Your fee notification letter (if you have it) will also be helpful in your discussion.

Prepare some possible questions you may have before you get there. It’s also a good idea to take a notepad to record what you see and hear, or what you like and don’t like. This will help ensure you cover everything you want to know. We have a list of questions to help get you started.

There will be a lot to take in when you visit. Taking a family member, partner, friend, or carer with you can be really helpful in asking questions and recalling the answers. They can also help with discussing and comparing all the places you visit.

While you’re at the aged care home, you’ll notice certain things and form your own opinion. Take your time to walk around and talk to as many people as possible. You may want to keep the following in mind:

The atmosphere

• How does the place feel to you?
• What's the environment like?
• Is it noisy, too quiet?

Rooms and facilities

• How are the rooms decorated and furnished?
• How big are the bedrooms? How big is the bedroom you’re interested in? Where are the bedrooms located?
• What facilities do they have? Are they modern?
• What are the common areas like? Are there gardens to enjoy?

Residents and staff

• What are the other residents like? Do they look happy, active, and engaged?
• What are the staff like? How many staff do they have?

Lifestyle

• Are there any social activities going on?
• If you’ve visited during mealtimes, is the food to your taste? What’s on the menu?
• Where do they prepare the food? Is it onsite or offsite? How much of it is prepared fresh and how much is from frozen?

Quality

• Does the place look organised and well-run?
• Does the aged care home have a dedicated quality manager?
• How do staff and residents interact with each other? Are they respectful, kind, friendly?