Managing your aged care home services

Yes, you can move rooms provided there is a suitable room available. You should speak to the manager of your aged care home to discuss your options. Your aged care home must consider your request, even if it’s not possible to offer you another room right away.

If you do change rooms, your aged care home must update your accommodation agreement before the move to specify the new room and price. The cost may change, for example, if you choose to move from a shared room to a single room.

In some circumstances, your aged care home may move you to another room without you asking for the change. This can happen for a few reasons, including:

• if it is necessary for genuine medical reasons
• if there are repairs or improvements taking place in the aged care home
• if you agree to a room price you are not eligible to pay – per your accommodation agreement and means assessment.

If you have any concerns about being asked to change rooms or how your move is being handled, talk to the manager at your aged care home in the first instance. 

If you want to go on holiday, stay with a relative for a night or two, protect your health and safety during an outbreak, or need to go into hospital, you can take time away without losing your place in the aged care home. To do this you should:

1. Tell your aged care home that you are planning on taking leave and let them know the date/s you’ll be away.
2. Ask them how this affects your fees while you’re away.

The type and length of leave you can take will depend on your reasons for leave.

Spending nights away from the aged care home for personal reasons is called social leave. If you take social leave, you will still have to pay your fees and accommodation costs. You can take up to 52 nights of social leave per financial year without paying additional fees.

If you take more than 52 nights away in a financial year, your aged care home can ask you to pay more on top of your usual fees and accommodation costs. Talk to your provider to find out more. 

You can take unlimited leave if you need to go into hospital. You will need to continue to pay your fees and accommodation costs during this time. If your stay is over 30 days, talk to your provider to find out more. 

You can take temporary leave from your aged care home during a situation declared as an emergency by the Australian Government. This could include a disaster (natural or otherwise), pandemic or epidemic; for instance, an infectious disease outbreak in the aged care home, such as COVID-19 or influenza.

To be eligible for emergency leave depends on (as determined by the government): 

• whether an emergency exists
• the specific region/area that is impacted
• the duration of the emergency. 

The government continues to pay subsidies to the aged care home for during your leave.

You will still need to pay your usual fees and accommodation costs. However, you cannot be charged any new fees to reserve your place at the aged care home.  

You cannot use emergency leave for personal emergencies. In these situations, you must use social leave. If an emergency comes up and you would like to temporarily leave, to your aged care home to make sure you take the right type of leave and you pay the correct fees. The provider will advise if emergency leave is available for you to use. 

As you age, your needs may become more complex. So it’s worth finding out how your aged care home can continue to support you in the long run.  

Your aged care home must regularly review your care and services to ensure you have the support you need. This includes coordinating clinical care in line with your goals and preferences.  

If your needs change, you may be reassessed by a residential aged care funding assessor. This ensures your aged care home receives additional care funding to meet the costs of your increased needs.  

There are also additional funding supplements that your aged care home can ask for on your behalf if you have specific needs. These are: 

• oxygen supplement – if you need continual oxygen therapy 
• enteral feeding supplement – if you need nutrients through a tube in your nose or stomach 
• veterans’ supplement – if you’re a veteran and have a service-related mental health condition. 

It’s important to check the aged care home meets your needs now and into the future.   

All aged care homes provide a range of clinical and personal care services. In addition, they may have: 

• intensive medical support – the ability to handle complex medical needs (for example, wound care, stoma care, enteral feeding) and managing chronic conditions
• dementia-specific units – specialised memory support units for people with dementia to provide a safe and supportive environment
• palliative and end-of-life care.

If you need more intensive services (such as high dependency nursing support), you may: 

• get additional support in your aged care home 
• choose to move aged care homes if it’s not available where you are.