People often enter the aged care system after an unexpected visit to hospital. In many cases, they feel pressured into going into an aged care home. Sometimes, this is presented as their only choice.
It is okay to take your time in making this decision. Patient advocates, aged care advocates, hospital social workers, family and friends are there to help you explore your options and make an informed decision.
Alternative options include
- increased home care support
- transition care, which provides up to 12 weeks of care and rehabilitation
- residential respite care.
Download the checklist below to help you to make an informed decision when leaving hospital.
If you are admitted to hospital from your aged care home, you can take leave from your service and your security of tenure is protected. That means your place will still be available for you on your return. There are also provisions for temporary leave from home care packages.
Documents and external links
Learn more about aged care options when leaving hospital. These documents and websites offer help, strategies, and practical information. Brief descriptions are provided for each document or link.
Checklist: Leaving hospital - what are my options?
It’s okay to take your time and to explore all your options. This OPAN checklist has questions that you can ask the hospital social worker, your service provider or My Aged Care that will help you to make an informed decision when leaving hospital. Download and print the checklist, there is space to add your own notes and questions.
Transition care information
Visit the My Aged Care website on transition care services to find out how it works and how much it can cost.
Temporary leave from residential aged care
Read the Australian Department of Health and Aged Care page to learn about the different types of leave you can take and what you are entitled to from residential aged care.
Temporary leave from home care packages
Read the Australian Department of Health and Aged Care page to understand how you can take temporary leave from home care packages and the impact on your fees.
