Once your application for residential care has been approved by the ACAT team, you can start applying to homes. It’s a good idea to apply to several homes as popular ones won’t always have a vacancy. Choosing a place to live is always an important decision so it’s worth asking around to get information about the homes in your area.
The best way to find a place that suits you is to visit a few different homes. Use the myagedcare.gov.au finder to look for homes in the area you’d like to live and contact them to arrange a time to visit. You’ll want to visit several facilities to get an idea of what’s on offer. Location, atmosphere, cost and the services each home provides are all important.
Questions to ask
It’s a good idea to prepare a list of the things you want to ask before you visit the home. Everybody will have their own questions but you might want to consider the following points:
►What training do the care staff have (are there registered nurses, enrolled nurses or trained carers)?
►How many staff provide care overnight?
►What arrangements are there to ensure privacy for residents?
►What are the meal arrangements – seating, times, menus, visitors, meals in your room and special diets?
►Is the daily routine fixed or flexible? Can you decide when you want to have a shower or eat your breakfast?
►Can the home meet your special needs (including language and culture, religious observances, pets and access to medical visits)?
►How can family and friends be involved in care? Can they stay overnight, if needed?
►What transport can you access for visiting shops, family and friends?
►Can the home meet your medical needs such as assistance with medication, wound or catheter care?
►Do you need services such as podiatry (foot care), physiotherapy (exercise, mobility, strength and balance), the services of a dietitian (food and nutrition assessment, food and nutrition advice, dietary changes) or speech therapy (communicating, swallowing or eating)?
►What type of care services cannot be provided? How would you be advised of this?
►Will you be able to keep seeing your own doctor? What other health professionals visit the home regularly?
►How are rooms allocated? Will you have a choice? Are bathrooms shared or is there an ensuite?
►What furniture or personal items can you bring with you? Can you have a private telephone?
