After a hospital stay
Aged care after hospital: your options when home is no longer safe
'We're planning your mother's discharge, and she can't go home.' Thousands of Australian families hear this every week. You have more options — and more time — than the first conversation suggests.
You don't have to accept the first suggestion
Hospitals need beds, and discharge planners work fast. But the choice of where your parent goes next is your family's, and a rushed decision into an unsuitable home is hard to undo. It's reasonable to ask for a few days to look properly.
Start by asking the hospital social worker for an urgent ACAT assessment — it's free and confirms exactly what level of care your parent is approved for.
The main pathways out of hospital
- Home with support — home care services or family care, if it's genuinely safe
- Transition Care Program — short-term therapy and support (up to 12 weeks) to recover and decide, at home or in a care setting
- Residential respite — a short stay in an aged care home while you plan the next step
- Permanent residential aged care — when returning home isn't safe anymore
If permanent care is the answer
The same steps apply as any aged care move: ACAT assessment, means assessment, shortlist, tour, apply. The difference is speed — and this is exactly the situation our placement service is built for. We phone homes daily, find genuine current vacancies, and can have a shortlist in front of your family within days.
If the best available bed isn't your first choice, your parent can move there safely and transfer later when the preferred home has a vacancy.
Looking after yourself in the middle of it
A sudden aged care decision lands on top of the worry about your parent's health. Carer Gateway (1800 422 737) offers free counselling and practical support for carers, and our family support page lists services that help families through this exact moment.
Talk it through with someone independent
Your first consultation is free and there's no obligation. We never take commissions from aged care homes, so our advice is based only on what's right for your family.