Choosing an aged care home

The move into residential aged care often happens after a fall, a hospital stay or a change in health, when families have little time to research. Even so, it's worth taking a structured approach. The home you choose affects daily life, care, relationships and finances.

This guide sets out the steps: confirming eligibility, finding and comparing homes, visiting, asking questions, understanding costs and preparing for the move. It's general information. Use My Aged Care for current rules and get financial advice about costs.

Step 1: confirm eligibility

To receive government-funded residential aged care, you need an assessment through My Aged Care that approves you for residential care. Contact My Aged Care on 1800 200 422 or online. If you're in hospital, the hospital's social work or discharge team can usually help arrange this.

You may also want respite care in an aged care home first, which can be a way to try a home before making a long-term decision.

Step 2: think about what matters

Before looking at homes, list your priorities:

• Location: near family and friends who will visit.
• Care needs: for example, dementia care, palliative care or specific health needs.
• Culture, language and faith.
• Lifestyle: activities, outdoor spaces, pets, privacy and food.
• Room type: single or shared, ensuite, size.
• Budget: accommodation costs and other fees.

Step 3: find and compare homes

Use the Find a provider tool on My Aged Care to search for homes by location. It shows each home's details, published accommodation prices and star ratings. Star ratings give an overall rating and ratings in areas such as residents' experience, compliance, staffing and quality measures. They're a useful starting point, but visit too.

The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission publishes information about providers' compliance, including any non-compliance or sanctions.

Step 4: visit

Visit several homes, ideally more than once and at different times, such as during a meal. Notice:

• how staff speak with residents;
• whether residents seem engaged and comfortable;
• cleanliness, smells and noise;
• the rooms, bathrooms, gardens and common areas;
• the food and dining experience;
• safety features and accessibility.

Questions to ask

Care

• How are care plans developed and reviewed, and how are families involved?
• What nursing and medical support is available, including after hours?
• How does the home support people with dementia, if relevant?
• What allied health services, such as physiotherapy, are available?

Daily life

• What activities are offered, and can residents suggest activities?
• Can I bring my own furniture and belongings?
• What are the visiting arrangements?
• How are meals planned, and are special diets catered for?
• Are pets allowed or welcomed for visits?

Costs

• What is the accommodation price for the room I'm considering?
• What other fees apply, including any additional or extra services?
• What's included, and what costs extra?

Communication

• How will the home keep families informed?
• How are complaints handled?

Step 5: understand the costs

Residential aged care costs can include a basic daily fee, a means-tested care contribution, accommodation costs and fees for extra or additional services. Services Australia assesses your income and assets to work out what you pay. Accommodation costs can usually be paid as a refundable lump sum, a daily payment or a combination.

The rules changed under the new Aged Care Act from 1 November 2025, including for people entering care after that date. Get current information from My Aged Care and Services Australia, and talk to a financial adviser who specialises in aged care. If you're selling a home or leaving a retirement village, consider timing carefully. See our guide to exit fees.

Step 6: apply and move in

• Apply to the homes you prefer. You can apply to more than one.
• When offered a place, read the resident agreement and accommodation agreement carefully, and get advice if needed.
• Plan the move with familiar belongings, photos and furniture where allowed.
• Share important information with staff: preferences, routines, history and what helps the person feel settled.

When you visit, take a notebook or use your phone to record what you see and the answers you're given. After visiting several homes, details blur together, and notes make it much easier to compare homes fairly and discuss them with family.

Ask about staff continuity too: who will usually provide care, how handovers work between shifts, and how the home makes sure new staff know each resident's needs and preferences.

Common mistakes

• Choosing on location or decor alone.
• Not reading agreements before signing.
• Making accommodation payment decisions without advice.

Settling in

The first weeks in an aged care home can be hard for the new resident and the family. Visit often at first, bring familiar items and photos, and share the person's life story, routines and preferences with staff. Ask for a care plan meeting after the first few weeks to check how things are going. If something isn't right, raise it early with staff or management. If concerns aren't resolved, contact the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission or an advocate.

Respite as a trial

Many families use residential respite care as a short trial. It gives the person a chance to experience a home, gives carers a break, and helps everyone decide whether long-term care in that home would suit.

Where to find more information

My Aged Care has guides to entering an aged care home, the Find a provider tool and star ratings. Services Australia explains residential care fees and means testing, and the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission publishes information about providers' performance.

Making a complaint

If you have concerns about care, raise them with staff or management first. If they aren't resolved, contact the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission, which handles complaints about government-funded aged care. You can also get free support from an aged care advocate through the Older Persons Advocacy Network on 1800 700 600.

Key points

Get approved for residential care through My Aged Care, list your priorities, compare homes using Find a provider and star ratings, visit several homes, ask detailed questions, understand the costs with financial advice, and read agreements carefully. OPAN offers free advocacy.