All aged care organisations deliver their services differently and charge different amounts. So, it’s important to look around and compare providers before deciding who to get your services from.
There are three main things you should consider:
Services – Finding aged care providers that meet your needs
Location, services offered, and availability are among the first things to research when you are looking for a provider. You should also look for providers who fit your needs, such as your culture, background, faith, or health requirements, and providers who deliver specialised care for diverse needs groups.
It can also be helpful to consider how providers manage their finances — for instance, what they spend on care, staffing, food, and other expenses. If you’re looking for an aged care home or Home Care Package provider, you can find this information on a provider’s profile page in Find a provider.
Use the Find a provider tool to find service providers in your area that meet your needs. Once you have found and shortlisted a few providers, contacting them will help to determine if they are right for you.
Select the situation that applies to you from the list below.
- I want to connect with Commonwealth Home Support Program providers
- I want to connect with Home Care Package providers
- I want to connect with an aged care home provider
- I want to connect with short-term restorative care providers
- I want to connect with residential respite care providers
Using non government-funded providers
There may be situations where you need or prefer to use a provider that isn't funded by the Australian Government. For example, while you’re waiting for government-funded services to be available.
Read more about your options on the non government-funded providers page.
Quality – Making sure you receive a good standard of care
Knowing that you will receive good quality care is an important consideration when choosing an aged care provider. But what should you expect from them? And how can you be sure an organisation will offer the best quality of care for you? Our Quality in aged care page explains what good quality aged care should be and how to find out who is delivering quality care.
Every provider listed on this site is regulated by the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission and needs to meet a strict set of regulations and quality standards. So, the Find a provider tool is a great place to start searching.
When using this tool to search for an aged care home, you will be able to see the home’s Star Ratings which will help you compare the safety and quality of services being delivered. 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.
Using the Find a provider tool, you will also see additional information on the performance of aged care homes, and providers delivering Home Care Packages.
Read more on Quality in aged care.
Costs – Determining what you will need to pay
There are a few factors that determine how much you pay for your aged care:
- the type of care you’re approved for
- the provider you choose, and
- what you can afford.
All the providers listed in the Find a provider tool can offer government-subsidised care. This means that, if you’re eligible for services, the government will pay part or all of your costs. Different providers have different charges, so it’s important to know what to look out for and how to negotiate costs.
There are different costs and fees for each type of care. Understanding these costs and how to work out your own costs can help you decide which provider is right for you.
Learn more about aged care costs.
Fee-paying aged care navigation and placement services
There are many free government supports available to help you find and connect with government-funded aged care services. However, some people decide to use fee-paying services for different reasons. If you decide to use a fee-paying service, we’ve put together some tips and recommendations to keep in mind. Read more.
What you need to know
The right service provider can be life-changing
See how finding the right provider changed Mrs Dou's life, and created a new lifelong friend and companion in carer Joanna.
JOANNA: I've been looking after Mrs Dou for over three years. My service to them is weekly and every time, I will stay with her for 2 hours.
MRS DOU: I am grateful to Joanna, she has done a lot of things for me. She is very considerate.
JOANNA: She had a very bad fall and that time, she really don't have any confidence in walking. The hospital and I had to help her to walk. Today you can see, she walks very confidently, even without a walking frame.
MRS DOU: So I am happy and my health is better than before.
JOANNA: I will be really grateful I got the chance to look after her, because Mrs Dou is always very considerate and caring. Sometimes I think she is my carer. (Laughs)
Because they always make sure I have a lovely cup of hot coffee. The bonding with her, I would say, is very strong.
MRS DOU: Like her very much. Like she is my own family.
JOANNA: This service is very important to elderly people because they can stay at their own place and more independent and feeling comfortable and safe. The service is very good. It's helped me very, very much.