5 things to consider before moving into Aged Care

Whether you are an ageing person receiving an aged pension, a self-funded retiree, or a relative of an ageing loved one – consider these 5 things to help make the right choice about whether or not you need to move.

1. Find an independent resource for information

Sure you can Google and hope for the best. But there are websites like myagedcare.gov.au & agedcareprepare.com.au that give not just information, but, advice personalised to you. Plus the agedcareprepare.com.au website is set up in a way where the menu guides you from left to right with sections like:

• How does it all work?
• Where do I start?
• What services are available?
• Am I eligible for services?
• How do I find a service?
• How much will it cost me?
• What are my rights?
• Frequently asked questions

2. Make sure your care needs can be met at your new location

If you’re in a position where you want to move house, maybe closer to family or to a location that’s easier to manage for future access and services, consider whether or not your care needs can be met.

- Is it entry level or more complex support required?

- Is there respite care available?

- Is it better to move into residential aged care with 24/7 support?

If coming out of an emergency at hospital, it can be helpful to have these questions answered in advance before making your move into your future care residence.

3. Know all the right questions to ask

We love the simple checklist that agedcareprepare.com.au have written up to take to any provider whether it be for new accommodation or just for services in your home.

Things like:

- Can I get extra support if my needs change?

- Will there be an exit fee if I want to change providers and if so, how much will this be?

- Will there be consistency with which workers come to my home?

View the full aged care questions checklist

4. Know your costs up front 

With aged care, there are a number of subsidies that  might be available to you in order to cover  accommodation and care services.

To get the best price on moving we always suggest putting in your full inventory so the exact amount of space can be calculated.

To save even more costs, reduce the amount of things you are taking with you as typically, the less items, the less costs.

If you are moving to a location that doesn’t have many stairs, has easy access, and plenty of room on the street – you’ll find the price will be as low as possible without the extra charges often associated with moving into hard to access houses.

5. Ask for help

Any move is tough enough as it is, and you don’t have to do it alone. Call Muval to help organize free quotes so you can make a good decision about how to best move your items. Call the free hotlines available at myagedcare.gov.au
1800 200 422  If you need a representative to do it for you, this is something that can be also set up.

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