Supported living

24-hour care in your own home Supported living communities combine the best advantages of retirement villages and nursing homes, to provide a new and welcome choice for seniors.

In a supported living community you buy and have a leasehold title to your own home – as in many retirement villages. However, unlike a retirement village, you’ll have access to various levels of personal care and nursing care – but this is provided in the privacy of your own home, a choice not available in nursing homes. Care Communities A new type of supported living is known as Care Communities. These are unique villages with the look and feel of a retirement village and the care of a nursing home. Run by approved providers, you can access Government funding for Home Care Packages, with home care services offered in the comfort of your own self-contained home in the village. No asset-testing or ACAT assessments Acquiring one of these homes, which is not Government funded, is surprisingly easy. There is no need for asset testing or income testing, and also no need for an assessment by the Aged Care Assessment Team (ACAT) that nursing homes require. If you already receive home support benefits before moving to a supported living community you can stay with your current provider. Staff at supported living communities Carers are always available to help out with daily housekeeping chores such as cleaning, vacuuming, clothes washing and ironing. Registered Nurses can prepare suitable care plans individually tailored to your health care requirements, including, regular health checks, medication management, wound and skin care, palliative in home care, illness prevention, pharmaceutical support and medication reminders. Maintain your social life While some residential aged care homes don’t cater for couples, supported living communities can offer the capacity for couples to stay together in their own home, even if they require different levels of care. The community centres offer many comfortable facilities, including lounge areas, libraries, television, games and activities rooms and tea and coffee facilities. Choosing a supported living community There are various factors which may determine your transition to a particular supported living community. It’s important to remember, the facility you will be happiest at will not necessarily be the most expensive. The right community for you is the community where you feel ‘most at home’.