Moving into aged care can be a time fraught with tough decisions. We thought we’d go through the process with you in our step-by-step guide…
When the time comes around and either you or those around you, feel it’s time to move into aged care, there are a lot of decisions to make and many of them are not easy.
Some people end up feeling totally overwhelmed with all the financial implications and the choices available. To help you on this journey, we are going to publish a series of stories about the stages you go through when you feel it may be time to move into aged care.
Step 1: Getting authority to make decisions
The first thing is making sure either you or the person going into aged care has given their spouse, children, relative or friend – the person who is helping them with this move – the authority to make decisions on their behalf should this be required. Of course, giving people the authority to make decisions would not be something that should be used unless it is necessary. While ever you are fully able to – making decisions about your life and what you are going to do, is up to you of course.
But if anything changes, at least you have this authority in place. As well, it just makes things easier because people are helping you make this move and they need to get the ball rolling. For those who are helping you make a move into aged care, they must have this signed form of authority before they can really book you in to any services.
For Centrelink and Human Services, you will need an ‘Appointment of a Nominee’ Form signed. Go to the Centrelink website here and you’ll find the form to use.
Enduring guardian
For other decisions, it’s best to appoint an enduring guardian – this gives the nominated person the authority to make personal or lifestyle decisions on your behalf.
These decisions can be about the kind of accommodation you live in, what type of nursing and medical care you get, what kind of minor procedures, such as dental care, are carried out and so on.
You may feel your spouse or children know what you want but it is still a safeguard to appoint someone, just in case something happens and you are not able to communicate your wishes as well as you would normally.
Also, is you are a person living on your own with no immediate family, you might find yourself at the mercy of a beneficiary. If you have an enduring guardian appointed, they are able to make decisions on you behalf and see to these things.
Power of attorney
Very importantly, you need to appoint someone as your power of attorney and then they are able to make financial decisions for you. Most people appoint their spouse or children to this role. You can go to your local Council office and get the forms for this but for more information, take a look here.
You may want to appoint one power of attorney or you may have a number of children and they all want to be your power of attorney – in this case they can all fill out the same form. Once filled out and signed, simply take this form back to your local Council and they will have a lawyer there who can sign it and process it for you.
Once you receive these forms of power of attorney, make sure the originals are kept in a very safe place because if a decision has to be made, these forms must be sighted by the authorities. If there are a number of people appointed your power of attorney, make sure all of these people know where the original forms are kept.
[You can read a more detailed article we wrote recently about the issues around power of attorney by clicking on this link.]
Step 2: Assess your elegibility
For anyone who had decided a move into Aged Care could be necessary, you will need to be assessed by the Aged Care Assessment Team (ACAT) or in Victoria this is referred to as Aged Care Assessment Services (ACAS) team.
This is a free assessment funded by the Australian Government which determines whether you are eligible to enter aged care. Your eligibility is based on your medical situation.
You can call the My Aged Care helpline on 1800 200 422 and they’ll direct you as to how you can book an appointment for an ACAT. When possible the member of your local ACAT will make a time to come to your home (or hospital if that’s where you’re located) and talk to you about how well you are managing day to day.
If you need more information about an assessment, go to this website.
ACAT or ACAS assessment
Once the ACAT has been completed, you will then receive a letter in the post letting you know if you have been approved as eligible for Australian Government subsidised aged care services. This will also tell you what level of service you require and are approved to receive and why they believe you require the services. It is a good idea to make some copies of this letter as you will be asked to present it throughout the next steps to various service providers.
If you are not comfortable with the results of the ACAT test you can work through your concerns with with your assessor.
Book in early
Depending where you are in Australia, the waiting time for your ACAT assessment could be as much as 6 weeks.
It’s important to know you do not need to make any decision about your future in the actual assessment so don’t worry about being forced into something you’re not comfortable with. It is a good idea to bring someone with you to the assessment for some support.
Information on how the assessment works and what sort of questions will be asked can be found here.
Stay tuned for our next story on booking into aged care where we’ll look at the financial structure of aged care – the DAPS, the RADS and everything inbetween.
Discussion1 Comment
Two points – to move to over 55’s living you do not need an assessment. This was not made clear and could be confusing to some people.
Second point is that Councils will not usually (in the city at least) allow their staff to act as a person’s private lawyer.