Aged Care Glossary
Understanding the complex terms and aged care jargon commonly used.
Advance Care Directive
A legal document that outlines your parent's wishes for future medical and health care, just in case they can no longer make those decisions themselves.
Basic Daily Fee
A daily fee paid by everyone in residential aged care, covering living costs like meals, cleaning, laundry and heating.
Care Plan
A written document created with your aged care provider that outlines what services your parent will receive and how their specific needs will be met.
Centrelink (Services Australia)
The government agency responsible for income support (like the Age Pension) and conducting the financial assessments required for aged care fees.
CHSP (Commonwealth Home Support Programme)
An entry-level home help program for older Australians who just need a little bit of assistance with daily tasks to stay independent at home and at times allocated while they wait for their package to come through.
DAP (Daily Accommodation Payment)
A daily rental-style payment option for residential aged care accommodation. You pay this instead of (or alongside) a lump sum as a percentage payment that is non-refundable.
Enduring Power of Attorney (EPOA)
A legal document where your parent appoints someone (like you) to make financial and legal decisions on their behalf if they lose capacity.
HCP or SAH (Home Care or Support At Home Package)
A coordinated package of care and services for people with more complex needs to help them live safely at home. It has eight levels (Level 1 to 8) depending on their needs.
Income Tested Care Fee
An extra contribution some people are asked to pay towards the cost of their Support at Home Package, based on a government assessment of their income.
Means Tested Care Fee
An extra contribution some people pay towards the cost of their residential aged care, based on a government assessment of both their income and assets. Determined by Services Australia (Centrelink).
My Aged Care (MAC)
The Australian Government's official starting point and central system for accessing all government-funded aged care services.
Palliative Care
Specialised care focusing on comfort, pain relief and quality of life for someone with a life-limiting illness.
PBS (Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme)
A government program that subsidises the cost of many prescription medicines, making them more affordable for families.
PBS Safety Net
A financial threshold that, once reached, makes eligible prescription medicines significantly cheaper (or free) for the rest of the calendar year.
RAD (Refundable Accommodation Deposit)
A lump-sum payment for accommodation in an aged care home. It is refunded (guaranteed by the government) when your parent leaves the facility. However if agreed in your resident agreement, the provider may retain up to 2% of the RAD each year for a maximum of five years (meaning up to 10% may be deducted before the refund).
Residential Aged Care
Often called a nursing home; a facility providing 24/7 personal and nursing care, meals and accommodation for older people who can no longer live safely at home.
Respite Care
Short-term care (either at home, in a day centre or in a residential facility) designed to give both the older person and their regular family carer a much-needed break.
SAS (Single Assessment System)
The new, unified assessment process introduced by the government to determine eligibility for all aged care services, replacing the old ACAT and RAS pathways.
Triage Delegate
A staff member in the new SAS system who reviews your initial My Aged Care application to determine the urgency and exact type of assessment your parent needs.