PART C - RESIDENTIAL CARE Part C Covers: Defining Residential Care Eligibility Requirements Services Provided in Residential Care Low Level Care High Level Care Borderline Cases Residential Respite Changes to Residential Care Defining Residential Care Section 41-3 of the Aged Care Act 1997 (the Act) defines residential care in the following way: (1) Residential care is personal care or nursing care, or both personal and nursing care, that: (a) is provided to a person in a residential facility in which the person is also provided with accommodation that includes: i. appropriate staffing to meet the nursing and personal care needs of the person; and ii. meals and cleaning services; and iii. furnishings, furniture and equipment for the provision of that care and accommodation; and (b) meets any other requirements specified in the Residential Care Subsidy Principles. (2) However, residential care does not include any of the following: (a) care provided to a person in the person’s private home; (b) care provided in a hospital or a psychiatric facility; (c) care provided in a facility that primarily provides care to people who are not frail and aged (d) care that is specified in the Residential Care Subsidy Principles not to be residential care. Residential care is for frail older people whose overall care support needs cannot be adequately met in the general community even through a range of Home and Community Care (HACC) services or through a Home Care Package. Aged Care Assessment Teams (ACATs) can approve people for residential care, depending on their level of disability and support required.
High level residential care Yes - If the approval is time limited and care is required after the specified period expires No change Low level residential care Yes - If the approval is time limited and care is required after the specified period expires Yes – If there is a break in care of more than 28 days (excluding approved leave) Yes – on transfer if the resident has aged in place and wishes to pay an accommodation charge to the new home rather than rolling over an existing bond. Yes – if the first ACFI results in a High Level classification and the provider wishes to claim a high care ACFI subsidy rather than the interim low subsidy No – if the resident has aged in place as follows: • An ACFI reappraisal is conducted that results in a High Level classification (e.g. on expiry of an existing classification, or a voluntary reappraisal following a transfer, or following a major change in care needs) or • a Departmental Review Officer confirms the resident’s ACFI classification during a classification review. No change High level residential respite care Yes - If the approval is time limited and care is required after the specified period expires No change Low level residential respite care Yes - If the approval is time limited and care is required after the specified period expires Yes - If high level residential respite care is required No change Community Aged Care Package (CACP) (Home Care Level 1 and 2) Yes - If the approval is time limited and care is required after the specified period expires Yes – If a Home Care Level 3 or 4 is required CACP approvals automatically transition to Home Care Level 2 approval Flexible Care in the form of Extended Aged Care at Home (EACH) or Extended Aged Care at Home – Dementia (EACH-D) Yes - If the approval is time limited and care is required after the specified period expires EACH and EACHD approvals automatically transition to Home Care Level 4 approval Transition care Yes – If there is a break in care of at least one day (excluding an overnight stay in hospital) after the 4 week entry period No – If the client enters hospital from transition No change