Finding a nursing home
Nursing homes in Australia: how to find the right one
Australians still say 'nursing home', but the official term is residential aged care home. Whatever you call it, the search works the same way — and a few early steps make it far less overwhelming.
Start with the assessment, not the brochures
Before a person can move into a government-subsidised aged care home, they need an assessment through My Aged Care — in most states this is an ACAT (Aged Care Assessment Team) assessment. It's free, and it confirms the level of care they're approved for.
Register with My Aged Care on 1800 200 422 or at myagedcare.gov.au. The assessment itself usually happens at home or in hospital, and it's wise to arrange it before a crisis forces the issue.
How places are actually allocated
There's no single central waiting list. Each home keeps its own list, so families apply to several homes at once. Vacancies change weekly, and homes rarely advertise them widely — which is why 'no vacancies' from two or three homes doesn't mean there are none.
A placement service that phones homes daily will often find genuine vacancies that aren't visible online.
What to look for on a tour
- Staff who know residents by name and stop to talk with them
- How the home handles falls, wandering and night-time needs
- Whether residents look engaged — activities happening, not just a TV on
- The smell, cleanliness and noise level of the shared areas
- How the home communicates with families when something changes
- Whether the food is cooked on site and residents actually enjoy it
Comparing homes on more than first impressions
Every aged care home in Australia is listed on the My Aged Care website, and the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission publishes accreditation and compliance records for each one. Star ratings are a useful starting point, but they're a snapshot — a tour tells you much more.
We help families build a shortlist, join the tours, and ask the questions that reveal how a home really runs.
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.