Frequently Asked Questions

What is Residential Aged Care?

Residential Aged Care is a place of residence that provides 24-hour personal care, nursing care, and general health care services for senior Australians. Residential Aged Care facilities provide lifestyle programs to suit individual, social, and community connection needs. They can also provide specialised care i.e. dementia care and Palliative care.

Residential Aged Care facilities come in all different layouts, sizes, and provide different services to cater to their resident’s individual needs.

Residential Aged Care facilities have registered nurses, enrolled nurses and personal carers 24 hours a day, catering, cleaning and laundry services, as well as, lifestyle programs to assist you with all your care and social requirements i.e. personal hygiene cares, mobility assistance, medication administration, general everyday activities, and more.

While in Residential Aged Care you have the option of seeing your own doctor (if they agree to attend the facility) or seek the services of other doctors that attend on a regular basis.

It's important to find the right residential aged care facility for you as once you are a resident it becomes your home. In your home, you need to feel safe, valued, respected and given choices. If a facility does not provide the care and services, you require it can be hard to settle into your new home and feel at ease.

H.U.G.E. Today is committed to finding you the home that is most suited to your individual preferences, needs, and requirements.

To be eligible for a place in a Government-subsidised Residential Aged Care facility you need to be assessed through an assessment (ACAT). Further information on ACAT can be found on this FAQ page.

For further information contact us today!

How much does Residential Aged Care cost?

The cost of aged care differs for everyone. The differences to be considered are accommodation type, location, extra

services, and your financial situation.

All residents are asked to contribute to their care by paying a daily basic fee. The daily basic fee incorporates things such as your meals, cleaning, laundering linen and personal clothing, heating and cooling, personal care, assistance with daily living, medical care, and pharmaceutical services (medication additional).

The Australian Government determines the maximum amount of the daily basic fee and this amount is reviewed in March and September of each year. The maximum amount is based on the aged pension.

The Government currently has this set as 85% of the annual single basic aged pension.

Additional accommodation costs may be required depending on your income and assets, choice of room type. and services preferences. These costs are known as Refundable Accommodation Deposits, Daily Accommodation Payments, Means-Tested Fees, Extra Services, or Additional Services.

There is a lot of information available to digest when it comes to aged care fees.

Don’t panic! We can explain it all.

What is Dementia Secure Residential Aged Care?

Residential Aged Care facilities vary when it comes to dementia care. Some facilities are a secure facility that can cater to those living with mild to moderate dementia whereas other facilities have dementia wings/units for those living with severe dementia.

A secure facility is a standard Residential Aged Care facility that may have the perimeter of the building and outdoor spaces locked with keypads, swipe cards and/or key locks. These facilities can cater for those living with mild to moderate dementia enabling them to live life in an environment that encourages independence in moving freely around the facility and throughout the outdoors spaces provided with minimal restrictions and standard supervision by personal carers while remaining on the grounds safe and content.

A secured wing in a facility (also known as secured unit, memory support unit or dementia wing) is a dedicated area/s within a facility where those living with severe dementia reside. These wings are designed for safety, contentment and provide the ability to control the right amount of stimulation for those living with dementia.

Reasons, why a person may reside in a secured wing, are due to signs of:

 aggression
 severe agitation
 vocalisation, such as talking constantly, cursing or screaming
 severe depression or anxiety
 intrusive behaviours
 inappropriate behaviours
 being suicidal
 and others.

A secured unit should have dedicated staff who are trained in dementia care who can provide additional supervision and appropriate activities to ensure the residents are stimulated enough and are content in their daily life.

Some secured units have been designed magnificently to provide a safe, enjoyable, and respectful home for those living with dementia. When the right stimulus is provided, and the environment is dementia friendly known behaviours (as listed above) can be reduced.

When looking for a Residential Aged Care dementia-friendly facility it is extremely important to understand what they offer and how successful their care planning is to determine if this is the right place for you or your loved one.

The team at H.U.G.E. Today know the questions to ask, know what to look for during a tour and have contacts for facilities with secure units which we can match to your needs.

Call us today and let us help you find the right home

that caters to the needs of you or your loved one

living with dementia.

What services do Residential Aged Care Facilities provide?

Residential Aged Care facilities provide accommodation and help with many daily activities. Residential Aged Care facilities focus on medical care more than most assisted living facilities. All Residential Aged Care facilities provide the basic daily requirements for standard living, whereas other facilities also provide extra and additional services at an additional cost. (these vary with each facility.)

All facilities should at a minimum provide the following basic daily requirements:

Nursing services – 24-hour nursing care and personal carer supervision. Care planning (individual assessments) review and treatment of complex pain and wound management. Assistance with catheter and stoma care and more. Nursing and care staff provide care with showering, bathing, getting dressed, toileting, and incontinence management – providing incontinence aids, such as bedpans, absorbent pads, and toilet and shower chairs during personal hygiene care.
Health and Clinical care management – 24-hour nursing care, as well as, access to health professionals on-site i.e. Doctors, Dentists, Dietitians, Podiatrists, Speech therapists, Physiotherapists, and more. Nursing staff will organise medication scripts written by a doctor and have these filled through the pharmacy arrangement the facility has in place. Staff can also arrange appointments outside of the facility where required. Additional costs may be incurred for transport or escort to these appointments if required.
Mobility and functional movement – Nursing and care staff can aid with eating, communicating, and your mobility needs. This assistance can include cleaning of glasses and dentures, changing batteries in hearing aids, assist with eating, and using utensils, helping to mobilise in and out of bed, and in and out of a chair. Facilities should have on-site mobility aids such as 4WW (4-wheel walkers), wheelchairs, lifting hoists, and slings. **Motorised wheelchairs and custom-made aids are not included and need to be provided by the resident
Laundry services - Personal belongs washed, ironed, and returned to the resident. Some facilities have on-site laundry facilities whereas others have a laundry service collect and return washing. All linen is provided and laundered by the facility.
Basic toiletries – the facility will provide towels and face washers, toilet paper, tissues, soap, shampoo and conditioner, razors, toothpaste and toothbrushes, hair combs, and deodorant.
Meals and refreshments – A healthy, well-balanced dietitian reviewed menu which consists of a variety of foods will be available. Three meals a day are served to residents along with morning tea, afternoon tea, and supper. cold water, tea, coffee, and juice is also available throughout the day. Where special dietary requirements are needed these will be accommodated
Lifestyle and social activities –The facility will offer a variety of social activities either within the facility or out in the community. The facility will provide a lifestyle calendar each month which will incorporate activities such as, exercise sessions, games like bingo, board games, trivia sessions, and movie screenings. Each facility will have a lifestyle team. This team will get to know the residents and work with the resident or their families to build a leisure and social care plan. The care plan will be tailored to the individual resident’s needs, wants, requirements, and abilities.
Furnishings and Utilities – Each resident's room should include at a minimum a bedside table, chair with arms, wardrobe space, a lockable draw or cupboard, bed, and tray table. Each home will also have rooms for dining, lounging, and leisure activities for all residents to utilise. It's important to consider bringing some personal items into the room to make it feel more personal and home-like. Water, gas, and electricity for heating, cooling is included along with cleaning and waste disposal.

What is Residential Respite?

Residential Respite care is a short term stay in a Residential Aged Care Facility The purpose of respite is to provide a career or care recipient a break from their usual care arrangements.

Respite can be a planned stay or arranged on an emergency basis. If you are considering respite in a Residential Aged Care facility an ACAT will need to be completed to assess the need and provide approval for this service.

If approved the respite resident is entitled to 63 days of subsidised respite care within each financial year. Extensions can be granted up to 21 days where needed (application for extension is required).

Residential Aged Care facilities provide 24-hour personal care, nursing care, and general health care services for respite residents. Residential Aged Care facilities provide lifestyle programs to suit individual, social, and community connection needs. They can also provide specialised care i.e. dementia care, Palliative care, and other allied health services. Residential Aged Care Facilities come in all different layouts, sizes, and provide different services to cater to their resident’s needs.

Residential Aged Care facilities have registered nurses, enrolled nurses and personal carers 24 hours a day, catering, cleaning and laundry services as well as lifestyle programs to assist you with all your care and social requirements, such as personal hygiene cares, mobility assistance, medication administration, general everyday activities, and more.

H.U.G.E. Today is committed to finding you the facility that is most suited to your individual preferences, needs, and requirements.

To be eligible for respite in a Government-subsidised Residential Aged Care facility you need to be assessed through an assessment (ACAT). Further information on ACAT assess give us a call today!

What is an EPOA and do I need one?

An EPOA (enduring power of attorney) is a legal document that states who you choose to manage your financial, personal, and health matters during your life. This document can be put in place immediately or you can choose for it to take effect when you no longer have capacity to manage your own affairs.

An attorney is a person/s you nominate to manage financial, personal, and health matters on your behalf. You can choose to have multiple attorneys or just one. You can choose whether these attorneys act solely or severally when it comes to making decisions on your behalf. You can stipulate limits on your attorneys by stating what matters you would like them to manage. You can have individual attorneys for each Financial and Personal and Health matters or your attorney can manage all three matters.

Attorneys for financial matters can take care of things such as:

Paying bills
Preparing tax returns
Managing property
Managing investments and other matters you advise

Attorneys for personal and health matters can take care of things such as:

Where you live
Who you live with
What social activities you are involved with
Medical decisions
Treatment options
Medications you should have and other matters you advise

**Please note this is not the same as an Advance Healthcare Directive – please see what is an AHD information on this page.

Your attorney must act in the best interest of you and an attorney is personally accountable for their actions when it comes to managing your affairs. If your attorney/s mismanage your affairs, whether deliberately or through negligence, they can be held liable, and legal and recovery action can be implemented. It is important to consider who you appoint as your attorney/s. You need to know you can trust them and that they will act within your best interest.

If you feel you can not appoint an attorney or an attorney has not shown to be managing your affairs in your best interest you can choose to seek assistance from the Public Trustee to manage your financial matters. Public Trustee is impartial and has your best interest at heart.

For more information on EPOA matters talk to us today!

Who can access Residential Aged Care?
Residential Aged Care is a place of residence that provides 24-hour personal care, nursing care, and general health care services for senior Australians. Before moving into a Government-subsidised Residential Aged Care Facility you need to have an assessment completed to determine your eligibility. This assessment is called either ACAT or ACAS (Victoria only). ACAT – Aged Care Assessment Team complete a review of your current situation to determine eligibility for either respite or permanent admission to Residential Aged Care.
Once this assessment is completed and approval is given you will receive a referral code to provide to your facility of choice.
During this process, the assessment will include questions based on your medical history, your current living arrangements and support network, The type of help you require, i.e.: daily personal care needs, such as showering, eating, shopping, and how you are feeling.
To obtain a comprehensive picture of your current circumstances it can be beneficial to have family or close friends assist you with this assessment.
ACAT assessments can be organised through My Aged Care, your social worker, doctor, or other health care professional. Family or friends can also request to have the assessment completed on your behalf.
Talk to us about this today.
You will be given an opportunity to accept or reject an ACAT decision. This can be done by speaking with the ACAT Manager and if you are unable to agree after this step you can appeal the decision.
ACAT is also used to assess home care package levels and transition care services if required.

What is an Advance Healthcare Directive and do I need one?

With a large ageing population, it is believed that people will be capable of making their own medical choices well into their senior years. Although once a person no longer has capacity, they can no longer make these decisions. To overcome this concern and ensure you always have a say in your life an Advance Healthcare Directive (AHD) will give you the opportunity to have your say when you no longer can.

An AHD is a legal document that enables you to provide specific details on decisions about your future health, end of life care, and any personal matters you want to implement when you are no longer able to. The AHD only comes into play once you no longer have capacity to make medical decisions for yourself. While the thought and conversation on end of life can be difficult it is an important conversation for everyone to have in relation to their own care.

If you no longer have decision making capability, then a family member or friend you nominate and/or your Enduring Power of Attorney (EPOA) will need to make these decisions for you. While there are laws around how they need to make these decisions on your behalf, they are human, and they care about you which could cloud their judgement. If you haven’t made your choices clear to your loved ones, with emotions running high, it is possible that your family, friends, and/or EPOA could make decisions based on these emotions with all good intentions, however, not necessarily the choice you would make.

Without an AHD in place, it could leave you at risk of not receiving the medical treatment you wanted or stop treatment that you did not want to receive.

It’s important to start talking about this today.