Managing your transition care services
While you receive transition care services, you may need to make changes to your care. It may be because your situation or needs have changed, or you are transitioning from residential aged care to support in your home.
This page looks at what you should expect from your care and what you can do to manage your services.
Changes to your needs and situation
If something in your life changes and it affects your transition care, there are steps you can take.
Can I take time away?
Yes, you can take a break from receiving care for up to 7 days during your transition care period. This can be for social reasons or if you need to return to hospital.
Break days can be taken together in blocks, or individually, throughout the duration of your care. Your break days will be counted as available care days and will not extend your maximum transition care duration.
Your service provider will continue to be paid a subsidy for any break days you take, and you will still need to pay your Transition Care Program contribution fees for any break days.
If you take more than 7 break days during your transition care period, your care will end and you will lose your place in the program.
To resume care if you take a break for longer than 7 days, you will need to:
- be reassessed and approved
- have a new transition care place to go to
- enter care directly after your hospital stay.
Can my care be extended?
In exceptional circumstances, your care episode may be extended by 6 weeks. Extensions are only granted if you have further therapeutic care needs and wish to achieve a better outcome. Your provider will help fill out any additional paperwork.
Can I stop my transition care early?
Yes, you can end your transition care at any time. Your care agreement outlines how you and your service provider can end your transition care early.
You cannot start both transition care and another form of Australian Government-funded aged care (such as residential care or residential respite care) on the same day.
Your care plan will include strategies to help you meet your goals if you leave the program early.
What if I need to return to hospital?
If you need to return to hospital while you’re receiving transition care, you can use any available break days to ensure your care agreement continues. As long as you don’t exhaust your 7 available break days, you can then resume your transition care when you leave.
If your hospital stay is longer than the number of available break days, your transition care will end, and you will be discharged from the program.
To begin care again, you will need to:
- be reassessed (unless your initial transition care approval is still valid)
- wait for a new transition care place to become available
What if there are no vacancies?
Assessment approval does not guarantee a place in the program – you need to wait for a vacancy.
Transition care places can become vacant at short notice. If you have an assessment and are approved for transition care, your approval lasts for 28 days. This means even if there isn’t an immediate vacancy, you will still be able to start transition care, as long as:
- a transition care place becomes available within the 28-day period
- you can start your care immediately after your discharge from hospital.
If there are still no vacancies available after 28 days, you will need to be reassessed.
Managing how your care is provided
You have choice and control with how your services are delivered.
What should I expect from my provider?
Your aged care provider is responsible for ensuring you receive safe, quality aged care services. Your provider has the following responsibilities:
- To put your rights at the centre of your aged care. Your rights are protected, whether you receive transition care at home, in the community, or in an aged care home.
- To involve you in delivering your aged care services. The Aged Care Quality Standards define what quality care looks like, supporting you to live your best life.
Read about your rights in the Statement of Rights.
Read more about the Aged Care Quality Standards.
Can I change providers?
Yes, you can transfer from one service provider to another if there is no break in your care; that is, as long as you have received transition care services every day while you change providers.
If you’re moving within your state or territory, you will keep your existing recipient agreement. If you’re moving interstate, you must be offered a new agreement.
What if I have a complaint?
If you are unhappy with any aspect of the care or services you receive, you have the right to raise a concern or make a complaint. Your first step should be to speak directly to your service provider, if you feel comfortable. They are there to support you, listen to your concerns and take necessary action.
There are other options available too, including lodging a complaint with the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission. You can read more information on our Contact us page.
Advocacy support
You can also get help from an aged care advocate. Through the National Aged Care Advocacy Program, the Older Persons Advocacy Network (OPAN) provides free, confidential and independent information and support to older people seeking or receiving government-funded aged care as well as their families of choice or other supporters.
OPAN’s aged care advocates can help you to understand and exercise your aged care rights, find aged care services that meet your needs, and resolve issues with your government-funded aged care provider.