How to get a parent into aged care in Australia

Deciding that a parent needs residential care is one of the harder decisions a family makes. The process can feel opaque from the outside, unfamiliar acronyms, means tests, waitlists, accommodation deposits, and it often needs to happen at a time when the family is already exhausted.

This guide walks through the process step by step. It covers the assessment pathway, how to choose a facility, how the costs work, and what to do in an emergency when there is no time for a planned transition.

If this is urgent, your parent is in hospital and discharge is imminent, skip to the emergency section below. The hospital social work team is your first call, not My Aged Care.

Step 1: Start with My Aged Care

Everything in the Australian aged care system flows through My Aged Care. Call 1800 200 422 or use the portal at myagedcare.gov.au. The intake call takes around 20 minutes. An operator will ask about your parent's current situation, their health conditions, what daily tasks they are managing, what support is currently in place, and will refer for an assessment if appropriate.

You can call on your parent's behalf with their knowledge and consent. If your parent lacks capacity to consent, an enduring guardian or power of attorney can act on their behalf. Have any relevant legal documents to hand when you call.

If your parent is reluctant to engage with the process, involving their GP can help. A GP referral is not required to contact My Aged Care, but a GP who supports the assessment recommendation carries weight with a resistant patient.

Step 2: The aged care assessment (still widely called ACAT)

Before your parent can access residential aged care, an assessor has to formally determine that it is the right level of care. Most people still call this an ACAT assessment (ACAS in Victoria), and the term is still useful for searching and talking to clinicians. The formal arrangement changed in December 2024: the separate assessment teams were folded into a single national assessment system, and what used to be an ACAT assessment is now formally a comprehensive assessment. It is still arranged through My Aged Care, and it is still the gate to residential care, higher-level in-home support, and government-funded residential respite. Our guide to the aged care assessment covers the current process in detail.

The assessment is conducted by a qualified health professional: usually a nurse, social worker, or allied health clinician. The assessor will contact you to arrange a visit, either at home, in hospital, or at a community health centre, depending on the circumstances. It covers physical health and function, cognitive status, emotional and psychological wellbeing, and social circumstances. A comprehensive assessment is thorough and typically takes 60 to 90 minutes.

A few things worth knowing before the assessment:

• You can be present. Family members or carers can attend the assessment. If your parent has communication difficulties or cognitive impairment, your presence helps ensure the assessment reflects the full picture.
• Document specific concerns in advance. Write down the incidents, observations, or changes that led you to seek an assessment: falls, weight loss, confusion, medication errors. Assessors see many families; specific examples help.
• The outcome is an approval, not a placement. The assessment determines eligibility for residential care (and other care types). It does not choose a facility or guarantee a place. The family does that next.
• Assessments can be expedited in hospital. If your parent is admitted to hospital and discharge planning requires a placement, an assessment can often be prioritised within a few days. Ask the hospital social worker.

Step 3: Choosing a facility

With an approval in hand, the family chooses the facility. This is where the process requires the most active effort.

Finding options

The My Aged Care "Find a Provider" tool lists all approved residential aged care providers in any area. The ACQSC (Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission) publishes quality ratings for every residential facility in Australia, from one to five stars across measures including resident experience, compliance, and staffing. These ratings are imperfect but useful as a starting filter. A facility with a compliance history of significant breaches is worth examining carefully regardless of other factors.

Visiting shortlisted facilities

Visit in person before making any decisions. Inspect common areas and, if possible, residential rooms. Talk to staff, not just management. Notice whether residents appear engaged or isolated. Ask about staffing ratios, particularly at night and on weekends. Ask about the ratio of personal care workers to registered nurses. Ask what happens when a resident's needs increase significantly.

Waitlists

Most facilities of reasonable quality have waitlists, and some popular facilities in desirable locations have very long ones. The standard approach is to apply to multiple facilities simultaneously, typically three to five, and accept the first offer from one you would be comfortable with. You are not obligated to accept the first place offered, but declining repeatedly moves you down the list.

Respite care is a useful pathway if there is urgency and no permanent place is immediately available. A short-term respite admission, typically up to 63 days per financial year funded by the government, provides immediate care while a permanent placement is organised. Some families find that a respite stay leads to a permanent place in the same facility if a vacancy arises.

Step 4: Understanding the costs

Aged care costs confuse most families. There are three components, and they work differently. Our guide to aged care fees goes deeper; the summary below is enough to plan around. Because the fee rules sit alongside the broader aged care reforms, treat Services Australia and My Aged Care as the current position on amounts and caps.

Basic daily fee

Everyone in residential aged care pays a basic daily fee, set by the government at a percentage of the single Age Pension. It covers daily living costs: meals, laundry, cleaning, utilities. It is not means-tested.

Means-tested care fee

An additional fee based on your parent's income and assets, assessed by Services Australia. People with modest means pay nothing or a small amount. People with significant assets pay more, up to a legislated annual and lifetime cap. The assessment process takes time; start it early, before placement if possible.

Accommodation costs

The price of the room. This can be paid as a Refundable Accommodation Deposit (RAD), a lump sum refunded when the resident leaves, as a Daily Accommodation Payment (DAP), a daily rental equivalent, or a combination of both. The choice is the family's to make, and the financial implications depend on individual circumstances. An aged care financial adviser can model the options.

Do not guess at this. The RAD vs DAP decision has significant financial consequences and depends on assets, investment returns, expected length of stay, and estate planning considerations. The advice is worth the cost.

Services Australia conducts the means test for both the care fee and accommodation support. Call 1800 227 475 or apply online. Start this process as early as possible; it takes time and will affect what the facility charges from day one.

Step 5: The move

Most residential facilities have an intake coordinator who will guide the family through what to bring, what paperwork is required, and what the first days look like. The administrative burden at this point is real: there will be forms, consent documents, and care planning meetings in the first week.

A few things that make the transition smoother: bring personal items that matter to your parent (photographs, a favourite chair if space allows, familiar bedding), brief the care team on your parent's history, preferences, and communication style in writing as well as verbally, and maintain the GP relationship where possible; residents can often continue with their own GP rather than switching to a facility-aligned practice.

The first few weeks are often the hardest. Adjustment takes time, and it is common for residents to express unhappiness in the early period even when the placement is the right decision. Visiting regularly and communicating with the care team helps.

If it is an emergency

Hospital discharge situations are the most common emergency pathway into aged care. A parent has a fall, a stroke, or a significant health event, and the hospital determines they cannot safely return home.

The hospital social work team is the most important resource in this situation. They know the local facilities, the current vacancies, and the process for expediting an assessment. Contact them as early in the admission as possible; do not wait until discharge is imminent.

Emergency and short-term respite placements can often be arranged within days when there is genuine urgency. They may not be in the preferred location or facility, but they provide immediate safety while a longer-term placement is organised.

In a genuine emergency where a person is at immediate risk and no placement is in place, aged care crisis services, accessible through My Aged Care after hours, can assist with emergency in-home support to bridge a gap.

If your parent does not want to go

This is one of the most common and difficult situations families face, and there is no easy resolution.

An adult with cognitive capacity has the right to make their own decisions, including decisions their family considers unwise or unsafe. You cannot force a placement without legal authority, and doing so without the appropriate legal framework in place can constitute an assault. The right response is to work with the situation rather than against it.

Some approaches that work better than others: involve the GP, who often carries more authority with the person than family members; frame the move as a trial rather than a permanent decision; consider respite as a lower-stakes first step; explore whether the specific objections can be addressed (concerns about a particular facility, fears about losing independence, financial anxieties).

If the person lacks cognitive capacity, due to dementia or another condition, the enduring guardian or administrator has the legal authority to make placement decisions. If no legal authority is in place, an application to the relevant state tribunal (QCAT in Queensland, VCAT in Victoria, and equivalents) can appoint a guardian. This process takes time and is worth initiating early if cognitive decline is progressing.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to get into an aged care facility?

It varies considerably by facility, location, and level of care needed. Dementia-specific units and facilities in popular areas often have long waitlists. Applying to multiple facilities simultaneously and being willing to consider a broader geographic area improves the chances of a timely placement. In emergency situations, placements can sometimes be arranged within days.

Can my parent choose which facility they go to?

Yes. The assessment approves eligibility, but the choice of facility is entirely the family's and the person's. There is no obligation to accept a particular facility or to stay on specific waitlists.

What if we cannot afford aged care?

The means test determines fees based on what the person can afford. People with limited income and assets are not expected to pay amounts they cannot manage, and hardship provisions exist for people in genuine financial difficulty. The basic daily fee applies to everyone, but the care fee and accommodation costs are scaled to means. Contact Services Australia to understand the specific situation.

How do I complain about an aged care facility?

Complaints go to the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission, online at agedcarequality.gov.au or by calling 1800 951 822. You can also raise issues directly with the facility before escalating. The Commission takes complaints seriously and providers are required to respond. You will not jeopardise your parent's placement by making a complaint; that would be a serious regulatory breach by the facility.

What is the difference between respite and permanent care?

Respite is a short-term or intermittent stay, used for a specific period while a carer is unavailable, or as a transitional arrangement. Permanent care is an ongoing placement with no specified end date. The funding arrangements differ: government-subsidised residential respite is generally available for up to 63 days per financial year, with the possibility of an extension if an assessor approves it. Permanent care requires an approved aged care assessment and goes through the standard cost structure. Check the current respite limits with My Aged Care.