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Am I eligible for an aged care home?
An Aged Care Assessment Team (ACAT or ACAS in Victoria) (more information) in your area can talk to you and provide you with information, advice and help. The ACAT can assess whether you are eligible for:
- an aged care home, such as a low level care home (formerly a hostel (more information)) or a high level care home (formerly a nursing home (more information))
- home care services and programs to help you keep living at home, such as Community Aged Care Packages (more information), Extended Aged Care at Home (more information) and Extended Aged Care at Home Dementia (more information), or
- short breaks (respite care (more information)) in an aged care home, for you or your carer.
An ACAT may include a doctor, a nurse or other types of health workers – people who are experienced in helping people to receive the care and assistance they require.
ACATs can visit you in your own home, or somewhere else, such as in hospital if you are recovering from an illness. You might want a family member, friend or carer to be present for the interview.
If you want to enter an aged care home, either long-term or for a short break, the ACAT can assess you, and if you are eligible, approve your application for care. You will be provided with an approval letter and a copy of your Aged Care Client Record (ACCR).
The ACAT will provide you with a booklet titled: '5 Steps to Entry into Residential Aged Care' (download this booklet) and also a 'Request for an Assets Assessment' form (also available from Centrelink and the Department of Veterans' Affairs).
If you choose not to complete the assets assessment, the home may ask you to pay the maximum rate of accommodation charge or any amount of accommodation bond that would leave you with no less than 2.25 times the annual single basic age pension.
An assets assessment is not compulsory. You can choose to have someone to help you in negotiating an accommodation bond or accommodation charge amount with an aged care home.
Centrelink completes assets assessments for people who receive a means-tested pension from Centrelink. The DVA completes assessments for veterans, war widows and widowers and their partners who receive a means-tested pension from DVA. Assessments for people who do not receive a means-tested pension from Centrelink or the DVA are done by Centrelink.
Read more: About getting an assessment
Read more: About short-term care
Read more: About assets assessments