Aged care. It’s not me / us yet. But …

The aged care system in Australia is complex and confusing …

And it’s about to become even more so with widespread changes now timetabled for 1 November this year. 

Sometimes, people need to move fast in a system where the aged care journey is typically very slow and cumbersome.

Running community forums on aged care, people contact me to want to attend and I hear the words, “I / we want to come along to your aged care event.  It’s not us yet.  We just want to come along to listen and get some information.”

That’s totally fine.  But there are a number of things you can do / control to make the journey smoother and faster if you actually find yourself in that situation at some future time.

Here are some things to consider and hopefully do now rather than wait for a crisis.

1. Get your legal documents done / reviewed

Make sure you have a Will, an Enduring Power of Attorney (financial matters) and an Enduring Guardian (health & care matters). If you don’t have these and you are able to – make sure you see a Solicitor and get them done.

If you have these documents already (or think you have) but they were done some time ago – make sure you know where the originals are stored and review them to ensure they accurately reflect your present wishes and expectations.

Ensure the person / people nominated for various roles know they’ve been nominated and that they clearly understand their role and responsibilities (especially if they are a friend or neighbour).

2. Register with My Aged Care

The aged care journey does not start until you are registered with My Aged Care. It’s a phone call (P: 1800 200 422) to request that you be registered on the system even if you don’t need anything else right now.

You may be asked if you want an assessment done – often over the phone there and then.  Up to you if you want to take that offer up. Just get registered.

3. Nominate people who can talk and act on your behalf

With organisations like My Aged Care and Centrelink, you can nominate someone to act as a back-up Authority (responsible person) on your behalf if you are unable to for whatever reason.

It is wise to have someone nominated and that doesn’t have to be your partner (if you have one). It could be a responsible family member or someone else you implicitly trust (choose wisely).

4. Get all your important documents sorted and together

For someone to step into your life to help handle your affairs, it’s important that they know what is expected of them … AND (most importantly) where to find all your important documents.

Buying a hard cover folder with plastic inserts to store these documents in one location is an extremely useful exercise. You simply replace the “old” documents / statements with the “new” documents / statements and keep in a place where the important trusted people in your life know where to find the folder.

This makes a difficult job so much less stressful rather than having to find and sort through reams of paperwork. Trust me – I’ve seen both sides of the fence with this and I know what side of the fence I want to be on.

How Family Aged Care Advocates (FACA) work

Family Aged Care Advocates guide you and your family through this ever-changing aged care maze so you can clearly understand what all these changes exactly mean for your particular situation. Mistakes or misunderstandings can be costly and time-consuming to fix. Feel free to visit FACA at www.familyagedcareadvocates.com.au or call Shane Hayes on 0411 264 002.

Shane Hayes Family Aged Care Advocates