What is a nursing home (aged care home)?
A nursing home (aged care home) is a place that provides residential accommodation and health care for elderly people who can no longer live at home. Nursing homes are also known as aged care homes or residential aged care facilities.
Nursing home (aged care home) residents are given assistance with a range of activities including:
- everyday tasks such as meals, cleaning and laundry
- personal care, like showering, toileting, dressing and eating
- 24-hour nursing care from qualified nursing staff, including medication management, rehabilitation, continence and catheter care, and wound treatment
Many nursing homes also offer specialist health and medical care, like dementia care, palliative care, stoma care and rehabilitation.
Most nursing homes (aged care homes) in Australia are funded by the Federal Government, so they receive Commonwealth funding to subsidise the cost of delivering aged care services. There are also a small number of non-Government funded nursing homes and aged care services.
Nursing homes are run by a variety of organisations known as aged care providers. These include faith- and religious-based groups; community organisations; charities; private businesses; publicly listed companies; health insurers; and state governments, particularly in regional and remote areas.
Aged care providers are eligible for Commonwealth Government funding to run nursing homes and provide other aged care services, as long as they meet the funding and accreditation criteria set down by the Government.
Changes to Nursing Homes
Nursing homes now provide three types of care on both a permanent and temporary basis.
Permanent Care
Before you can move into an aged care home you need to have an assessment to establish the level of care you need.
Aged care assessments are usually conducted in your home by a medical, nursing and allied health professionals.
The assessor will use the Integrated Assessment Tool (IAT) to assess your needs.
The IAT is a standardised questionnaire that helps assessors determine a person's aged care needs.
Respite Care
Nursing homes also offer respite care, if you or your carer needs a break from their caring role. You are eligible for up to 63 days of respite care every year.
Transition Care
Additionally, nursing homes can provide transition care if you are recovering from a stay in hospital for a maximum of 84 days.
Aged care homes can charge you four types of fees and costs as described in 4.2 The Main Costs Explained.
In summary, these are:
- A Basic Daily Fee
- Hotelling supplement
- Non-clinical care contributions
- An accommodation cost
Plus:
- An optional Higher Everyday Living Fee
There may also be additional fees for extra services such as specialist bedding, mobility devices, incontinence aids, nursing services and allied health services.
Before you move in, you must sign a Resident Agreement with your nursing home. This is a legal agreement that will outline the services and care available and the fees you will have to pay.
You can keep your own doctor and specialists and your nursing home can help to arrange transport provided you pay for transport and consultation fees. Staff can also assist in organising other healthcare services, such as physiotherapy, dentistry or podiatry.
You can still receive visits from family, friends and carers, take part in social activities and hobbies and go on holiday. You are also free to move to another nursing home if they have offered you a place.
