Frequently asked questions

There are three main types of aged care.

• Care in your home
• Care in an aged care residence
• Short term respite or after hospital care

Many of these services are government funded.

It can be overwhelming when you’re at the beginning of the aged care journey. Fortunately, there is plenty of support available to help you.

Reach out to your local GP for a consultation or feel free to chat to our Relationship Centre on 1300 297 189.

Home care is aged care that you receive in your own home. This is usually the first step in the aged care journey. If you think you’d like to stay in your own home, you could get help from:

• Services to keep your home liveable: This might include aids to help you stay independent, modifications to your home so it’s safer for you to move around, help with cleaning, garden maintenance and other chores.
• Services to keep you well: This might include help with personal hygiene and grooming, help with impairments or incontinence, meals and food preparation, nursing, allied health support to help your movement, such as podiatry or physiotherapy.
• Services for getting out and about: This might include social outings or transport to help you get to appointments.
• Services for getting some temporary help: This might include respite care or transition care when you’ve just left hospital.

There is government funding available for home based aged care. You can either apply for the entry level Commonwealth Home Support Program or a Home Care Package if you need more complex care.

Find out more about our home care division BodeWell Community Care.

If your needs are more complex and you can’t manage at home, you may consider a residential aged care home such as Arcare.

Also known as nursing homes or aged care homes, residential aged care provides you with around the clock care and support services.

When you move to an aged care home, you receive your own room and hotel like services including food, laundry and cleaning. You will get personal care if you need it, like showering or toileting and clinical care for your needs.

Aged Care homes also have events, outings and Lifestyle programs to help you socialise and get out and about in the community.

There is government funding available for residential aged care. However, what you pay will depend on where you choose and an assessment of your means and assets. Read more about aged care financial information.

You may need some extra support because you’ve recently left hospital and need to improve your independence. Or your regular carer might be away and you need ongoing care while they have a break.

Short term care may involve extra support and services, or it may involve some time in a residential care home until you’re able to resume your regular care arrangements.

Find out more about residential respite care at Arcare

The government funding you receive will depend on whether you’re eligible and what your needs are. To access any aged care, you will need an assessment from My Aged Care.

Read more about Aged Care Eligibility

Arcare currently has over 50 residential aged care homes across Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria.

Search all Arcare residences across Australia now.

Aged care encompasses a range of support for seniors who require assistance with everyday living, personal care and clinical care. It can be provided in the person’s own home (Home Care), or in a residential aged care home (also known as nursing homes).

Residential aged care is for senior Australians who can no longer live independently at home. Residential aged care provides accommodation and personalised care 24 hours a day, supporting residents in their health and wellbeing needs. Alongside enabling residents to maintain their independence as much as possible, residential aged care aids with continence management, mobility, medication administration and more.

Costs vary depending on the level of care required, the location of the home, and the resident’s financial circumstances. This includes a Basic Daily Care Fee, Means Tested Fee and an Accommodation Payment or Contribution. Each of our residential care homes range in cost depending on location and services available.  The Basic Daily Care Fee, which is set by government, is paid by every resident and contributes to their care and living expenses.

Depending on individual circumstances there may also be other charges such as a Means Tested Care Fee and Accommodation payment.

Related pages:

• My Aged Care Costs (This link will take you to an external website)

Retirement Villages focus on your independence and provide opportunities to enjoy and active and social lifestyle.  Residential aged care provide round-the-clock care and support while also encouraging independence and personal choice.

Related pages:

• Sencia Retirement Village  (This link will take you an external website)

The range of care and services vary according to the needs of the resident. For all residents however, the following are provided:

• Staff to always provide help including in emergency situations
• Assistance with daily living activities such as bathing, showering, dressing and mobility
• Assistance with medications
• Meals and refreshments, considering special dietary needs
• Basic furnishings including curtains, chairs, beds, bed linen, bath towels, soap and toilet paper
• Laundry service, cleaning service and maintenance of buildings and grounds
• Social activities

Learn more about Life at Arcare.

Staffing levels are dictated by the number of residents and their care needs. A Registered Nurse (RN) is always on duty with trained team members assisting with medication, care needs, lifestyle activities, catering, cleaning and maintenance.

At least one RN is rostered on duty 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, alongside qualified care team members.

Doctors, physiotherapists, speech pathologists and allied health professionals are also part of the care team and visit as required.

Talk to your Arcare Residence reception about the visiting hours for medical staff.

We have a variety of teams on site to support our residents on site. This includes:

• Personal Support Workers
• Enrolled Nurses and Registered Nurses
• Lifestyle Coordinators
• Maintenance and Support team members
• Chefs and Kitchen / Cafe team members
• Allied Health Professionals
• Residence Managers, General Service Managers and Administrative Staff

Some Allied Health Professionals you may see in an aged care residence include:

• Music Therapists
• Occupational Therapists
• Physiotherapists
• Podiatrists
• Psychologists
• Social Workers
• Speech Pathologists, and
• Spiritual Care Workers.

Allied Health Professionals are experts in their area of care and help clinical teams implement each resident’s care and treatment plan.

See Who works at an aged care residence.

Yes, depending on the Arcare residence. Couples can be accommodated with either adjoining rooms or in a larger room (suite), although these options are limited depending on the residence.

Please discuss with the Client Service Manager on your tour.

Arcare is home to our residents and therefore we do not have visiting hours. However, if the site has an outbreak (eg. COVID, influenza or gastro) visiting hours are changed as required.

Please contact your Arcare residence reception.

We maintain our Arcare communities by offering a variety of lifestyle options for our residents. To learn about life at Arcare today.

Arcare offers ageing in place which means that as people’s needs increase they can remain living where they are, even when the impacts of ageing affect their mobility and mental ability.

Yes, please see our dedicated dementia page here.

Yes. A government assessment is required to get a placement.

Get started on a placement with a government assessment today.

Our Arcare residences respond swiftly to manage COVID outbreaks and provide timely communications to the Arcare community.

We have provided a number of Australian State Based COVID 19 Resources for you and your family.

Whilst Arcare doesn’t allow personal pets to live at residences, Arcare does welcome trained, friendly and clean pets to visit.

Arcare is always looking for ways to ensure our residents remain part of the community. We look to partnerships with local community groups and see how we can support them whilst also supporting our residents. This has included local sporting clubs, museums, one day community events etc. Our residents will participate in these partnerships, for example, watching a football game, going to the museum or having local artists come to the residence to showcase their skills.

To get in touch with our team, please select ‘Community Sponsorships’ on our contact form.

New builds incorporate sustainable design initiatives such as (but not limited to):

• Use of high efficient LED lighting throughout
• Internal lighting control incorporating individual zone control / preset settings based on time of day, dimming, motion detectors and local light switches
• Motion sensors to offices and storerooms minimising unnecessary lighting power usage
• External lighting control incorporating timer circuit and PE cell control
• Roof mount solar Photovoltaic panels to offset electricity usage (nominally 3.2kw option per Villa & 70kW for the Communal Building)
• Battery System to offset peak electricity usage and supplement the Photovoltaic panels (nominally 6kWh option per Villa)
• Energy meters configured and interlinked via communications system to individually monitor the energy consumption of mechanical plant, lighting, power and other ancillary plant
• Highly efficient variable refrigerant flow (VRF) air conditioning systems used throughout community building
• Natural ventilation provided to all spaces where available. i.e. mechanical ventilation only provided to internal spaces with no external walls (where doors/windows are installed)
• A/C conditioning system provided with multiple zones and temperature sensors to ensure optimal control of A/C units and ability to turn off A/C units when spaces not occupied.
• Demand control of individual exhaust fans to each amenity
• Use of water efficient fixtures and fittings
• Centrally located, gas fired hot water unit complete with thermally insulated hot water flow and return pipework system to minimise hot water draw off times and minimise resultant energy and water wastage
• Solar hot water system complete with electric boost to all living units
• Connection to site wide reclaimed water network delivering reclaimed water to toilets, washing machines, external taps and site wide irrigation
• Use of best practice green star certified PVC pipework and fittings
• EV Charging stations will be provisioned for future installation at opening. Arcare is currently investigating EV charging across the Country at existing residences to confirm best design practice.

To visit an Arcare residence for the first time, we recommend you complete our Book a tour form here or call our Relationship Centre on 1300 297 189.

Our team will ask you a few questions about your needs and then book a tour at one of our residences.

For all student placement, current jobs, and volunteer queries, please visit our dedicated careers site (this link will take you to an external website): https://careers.arcare.com.au/home

Our Arcare Residences list the reception and fax numbers for all of our aged care communities. Learn more about our Arcare residences today.

To learn more about new upcoming residences, speak to a team member at our Relationship Centre by calling 1300 297 189 or use our Contact Form.

You can find resources at our dedicated landing page.

Feedback is important to Arcare.

Click the link to see our resident feedback  process.

To give feedback on Arcare and our communities, please go to our Feedback form and complete the form.

If you are a team member, see Careers.

All our residences are non-smoking. Residents, families, visitors and team members are not allowed to smoke, or use smoking devices, anywhere within the building or on the grounds of the residence. This includes (but is not limited to) cigarettes, cigars, vaping, e-cigarettes etc.