For adult children
Help finding a nursing home for your parents
If you're researching nursing homes for your mum or dad, you're probably doing it late at night, between other responsibilities, with a knot in your stomach. That's normal. Here's a clear path through it — and how we can carry some of the load.
Where to start
- Have the conversation early if you can — what matters to your parent about where they live?
- Register with My Aged Care (1800 200 422) and arrange an ACAT assessment; most homes require one.
- Get a clear picture of care needs: mobility, medications, memory, personal care.
- Work out the budget honestly before falling in love with a home you can't sustain.
- Shortlist homes near the people who'll visit most — visits are what keep someone well.
The emotional side is the hard side
Guilt is the most common thing we hear from adult children — feeling that helping a parent into care is somehow failing them. It isn't. Needing full-time care is a health reality, not a family failure, and a good home often gives a parent back things they'd lost: company, routine, proper meals, and safety.
It's also common for siblings to disagree. Part of our role is giving everyone the same clear information so the decision can be about your parent's needs rather than family dynamics.
What to look for on a tour
- Do residents look engaged and comfortable — not just clean, but genuinely occupied?
- How do staff speak to residents when no one's performing for a visitor?
- What are staffing levels like overnight and on weekends?
- Can your parent bring furniture, photos, their own bedding?
- What happens if their needs increase — can they stay, or would they have to move?
- Are there fees beyond the standard ones, and are they in writing?
How we help
We do the legwork: shortlisting homes that genuinely fit, booking and joining tours, asking the awkward questions, and handling applications and paperwork. Because we never take commissions from homes, our shortlist is built around your parent — not around who pays for referrals.
Start with the placement finder below, or book a free consultation and just talk it through. Sometimes the most useful first step is an hour with someone who's done this many times.
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.