How long should you wait to apply for aged care?

How long should you wait for aged care – a day, a week, a month? What if I told you that you could be waiting more than a year from realising you need it to receive the care you need?

Before you can receive aged care services such as a Home Care Package, short-term restorative care or a stay in an aged care home, you must undergo an ACAT assessment.

Waiting times for aged care can sometimes stretch out to a year.Credit: Shutterstock

ACAT stands for Aged Care Assessment Team (in Victoria they are called Aged Care Assessment Service or ACAS). You can be referred to the ACAT by a health professional or you can request an assessment through MyAgedCare.

The ACAT assessment is free and will normally be conducted at home. The aim is to identify your care needs and the services you qualify for. You can be approved for more than one service – for example, you may be approved for a home care package, respite in an aged care home, and permanent entry to an aged care home.

The services you are eligible for will be specified in your support plan. The average wait time for an ACAT assessment in 2023-24 was 47 days, but times vary widely.

If you are approved for a Home Care Package your support plan will designate the level of your package and your priority, and you will join the national queue.

Knowing the delays in receiving aged care can help you plan better.

Home Care Packages have four levels. Level one is the lowest, providing around $10,600 per year of funding, and level four is the highest, with around $61,400 per year of funding. There is additional funding for people with specific care needs.

There were 59,751 people waiting for a Home Care Package at their approved level as of March 31, a 94 per cent increase (28,912 people) from March last year when 30,839 people were waiting.

In June, someone with a medium priority had an average wait time of less than a month for a level 1 package, up to six months for level 2, and up to a year for a level 3 or 4 package. To start receiving home care you need to nominate your provider, who may have a waiting list, so it’s a good idea to research providers while you are waiting for your package.

When it comes to wait times for residential aged care the data is not as clear, because you may be approved today but access other services before moving to an aged care home. The most recent figures indicate that people are waiting 135 days between an ACAT assessment and moving into an aged care home.

Occupancy across the industry is 88 per cent, but that doesn’t mean that there are vacancies in every aged care home. Just like home care providers, aged care homes can have a waitlist. Homes with high demand can have wait times of six to 12 months.

Knowing the delays in receiving aged care can help you plan better. If you need aged care, start the ball rolling today. Top of your list should be to arrange an ACAT assessment, followed closely by researching aged care providers – don’t wait to start.

Rachel Lane is the author of the bestselling book Aged Care, Who Cares? and Downsizing Made Simple with fellow finance expert Noel Whittaker. The new edition of Downsizing Made Simple is now available online.

• Advice given in this article is general in nature and is not intended to influence readers’ decisions about investing or financial products. They should always seek their own professional advice that takes into account their own personal circumstances before making financial decisions.

Expert tips on how to save, invest and make the most of your money delivered to your inbox every Sunday. Sign up for our Real Money newsletter.