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Residential Care

Sometimes home care isn’t enough. When someone needs 24-hour support, an aged care home (sometimes called a nursing home) may be the right choice. This page explains how residential care works in Australia — simply and honestly.

What is residential care?

Residential aged care is a place where older people live and receive care around the clock. Staff provide help with daily tasks like eating, bathing, dressing, and medication, as well as nursing and medical support.

This isn’t a decision anyone takes lightly. For most families, it happens when care needs become too complex to manage safely at home — often due to advanced dementia, severe mobility issues, or after a significant health event.

It’s important to know: moving into residential care doesn’t mean giving up independence. Under the new Aged Care Act, residents have clear rights to make decisions about their own life, including their daily routine, social activities, and personal relationships.

How do you get in?

You need an assessment through My Aged Care. The process is the same as for home care — call 1800 200 422 or apply online, then an assessor visits to understand the care needs.

If the assessment finds that residential care is appropriate, you’ll be approved and can start looking for a home. You’re not assigned one — you choose. And you can visit as many as you like before deciding.

In urgent situations (for example, after a hospital stay when it’s unsafe to go home), the process can be fast-tracked. The hospital social worker can help arrange this.

Star Ratings — how to compare homes

Every aged care home in Australia receives a Star Rating from the government. This is publicly available and designed to help you compare homes.

5 stars = significantly above average

The overall star rating is based on four categories: residents’ experience (from surveys), compliance history (have they met the standards?), staffing levels (how many staff per resident), and quality measures (things like pressure injuries and unplanned weight loss).

Star Ratings aren’t perfect — a home with 3 stars might still be wonderful for your specific needs. But they’re a useful starting point.

Look up Star Ratings

Search for any aged care home in Australia and see its rating, staffing, and compliance history.

Find a Provider →

What to look for when visiting

Numbers and ratings only tell you so much. Visiting in person is the best way to get a feel for a place. Tick each item as you go — the score at the end gives you something concrete to compare between homes.

📋 Visit Checklist & Scorecard

Score: 0 / 14
👁 First impressions (trust your gut)
☕ Practical things to ask
📋 Before you leave

💡 Tip: Visit at different times of day if you can. A home might feel different at lunchtime versus evening. And trust your gut — the feel of a place matters as much as the facts.

What does it cost?

Residential care costs are covered in detail on our Costs & Fees page, but here’s the quick version.

You’ll pay a basic daily fee (everyone pays this — it covers meals, laundry, utilities). You may pay a means-tested care fee based on your financial situation. And there’s an accommodation cost for your room, which you can pay as a lump sum, daily rental, or a mix of both.

The lump sum (called a Refundable Accommodation Deposit or RAD) is refundable when you leave. The government sets maximum amounts, and nobody is refused a place because they can’t pay.

Residential Care Fee Estimator

Get a personalised estimate of what you’d pay.

Open Fee Estimator →

Respite care — a short-term option

Not sure about a permanent move? Respite care lets someone stay in an aged care home temporarily — usually while a carer takes a break, or after a hospital stay. It’s a good way to try residential care without making a long-term commitment.

You can access up to 63 days of subsidised respite care per financial year, with the option to extend if needed. Contact My Aged Care to arrange it.

Your rights in residential care

Under the new Aged Care Act (from 1 November 2025), residents have an enforceable Statement of Rights. These include the right to safe and quality care, the right to make your own decisions, privacy, dignity, and the right to raise concerns without fear of retaliation.

If something isn’t right, you have options. Start by raising it with the home directly — they’re required to have a complaints process. If that doesn’t work, you can contact the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission or get free support from OPAN (1800 700 600).

💡 Remember: Moving into an aged care home doesn’t mean losing your voice. You have the right to choose how you live, who visits you, what you eat, and how you spend your day. The home works for the resident — not the other way around.

Having the conversation

Talking to a parent or loved one about residential care is one of the hardest conversations a family can have. There’s no perfect script, but here are a few things that can help.

Start the conversation early — before there’s a crisis. Frame it as exploring options, not making a decision. Listen more than you talk. Acknowledge that it’s a big deal and that their feelings matter. And if the conversation doesn’t go well the first time, that’s okay — come back to it.

Many families find it helpful to visit homes together, so it feels like a shared decision rather than something being done to someone.

Related pages

Costs & FeesWhat you pay, in plain EnglishStart HereSix steps to get startedSomething's WrongComplaints and what to do

What to explore next

Want to understand the full picture of recent aged care changes? Or need to understand costs in more detail?

What’s Changed → Costs & Fees →
📞 1800 200 422 My Aged Care — tap to call