The Aged Care System
Providers of aged services include charities, community groups and welfare agencies. Many service providers are subsidised by State and Commonwealth government funding.
Care of aged people has various components and can be provided in several settings:
- In the consumer's home
- Residential care - nursing homes or hostels
It should be noted that all subsidised aged care services are subject to assessment for eligibility and fees may be payable. There is no automatic right of access to subsidised care and services. Following is a basic overview of the system. Please contact TARS for further information.
Retirement villages are not part of the aged care system.
Glossary of Terms
- Accommodation charge - an ongoing fee for accommodation in a nursing home.
- Accommodation bond - a lump sum paid for accommodation in a hostel or an extra service nursing home.
- Accommodation bond agreement - an agreement between the resident and the facility that outlines the amount of bond and how it will be paid.
- Accreditation - minimum building and care standards that facilities must meet in order to receive funding from the government.
- ACF - Aged Care Facility, a nursing home or a hostel. Founded by the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing, governed by the Aged Care Act 1997.
- ACAT - Aged Care Assessment Team; a team of health professionals who assesses a person for the level of care they may require in order to receive in-home or residential care.
- Aged Care Assessment - an assessment by the ACAT determining the level of care required for the resident.
- Ageing in place - high and low levels of care provided in one aged care facility. Generally, residents of these facilities do not need to move to another facility if their care
needs increase. - Agreement - a document given to you by the facility outlining details on fees.
- Approved provider - the operator of a facility, must be approved by the government and their facilities must be accredited in order to receive funding.
- Assets - the value of investments and possessions on which a bond or charge is negotiated.
- Basic daily care fee - a daily fee for care, equivalent to 85% of the aged pension.
- CACP - Community Aged Care Package, services equivalent to hostel level care provided in the home.
- Concessional resident - a person needing residential care who will pay only the basic daily care fee due to financial constraints.
- Daily care fees - daily fees for care; comprised of basic daily care fee and income
tested fees. - DH&A - The Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing which oversees all aged care facilities in Australia.
- Drawdown figure - a sum of $3 186 that the hostel may take from a bond towards upkeep of the hostel; also called a "retention figure".
- EACH - Extended Aged Care in the Home, services equivalent to nursing home level care provided in the home.
- Extra service facility - a nursing home and hostel that provides a higher level of accommodation and services. There are higher costs associated with the extra services.
- FISO - Financial Information Service Officer, employed by Centrelink, may be consulted for information about the financial aspects of aged care.
- High level care - nursing home level care.
- Income assessment - procedure for collecting information on income.
- Income tested fees - component of the daily care fee.
- Low level care - hostel level care.
- Periodic payment - a method by which the accommodation bond can be paid.
- Residential care - care received in an aged care facility
- Residents' Rights - the rights of residents as defined in the Aged Care Principles. For example: "Each resident of an aged care service has the right to maintain control over, and continue making decisions about, the personal aspects of his or her daily life, financial affairs and possessions.
- Retirement Village - a retirement village is a residential complex usually occupied by persons over age 55. It is not the same as an Aged Care Facility as the units are self-care or serviced apartments and are funded by the residents themselves - there is no government subsidy. Residents enter into a contract with the operator. Retirement villages are governed by the NSW Retirement Villages Act 1999.
