Aged care in Australia involves several different organisations, and each one handles a different kind of question.
This page is a switchboard. Find your problem, get the number.
I want to get help for myself or a parent
My Aged Care, 1800 200 422. Monday to Friday 8am to 8pm, Saturday 10am to 2pm.
This is where everything starts. They check eligibility and arrange the assessment that almost all subsidised care depends on. They give you information about government funded aged care, help you apply for an assessment and help you find a provider.
If you are calling from overseas, the number is +61 2 6289 1555, Monday to Friday 8:30am to 5:30pm AEST. Ask for My Aged Care. If you need an interpreter, ring TIS on 131 450 first and ask them to connect you.
I need help right now, today
If someone is unsafe at home tonight, these are the faster options.
Carer Gateway, 1800 422 737. Carer Gateway says to call this number at any time if you need emergency respite. For everything else the line is staffed Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm. If you are the carer and you become sick or injured and cannot continue, this is the number. Their local service providers can help organise emergency respite, where a suitable service is available.
000 if someone is in immediate danger.
If the situation follows a hospital admission, ask to speak to the hospital social worker or discharge planner before discharge. They can help arrange short term supports after discharge, such as the Transition Care Program, which needs an assessment done in hospital.
I have a question about fees or the means assessment
Services Australia. They run the income and assets assessment that decides what you contribute. Ask them about your means assessment.
Ask for a Financial Information Service officer. It is a free service that can inform and educate you about financial matters. They can explain the financial side of moving into aged care and your options.
If you get an income support payment from the Department of Veterans' Affairs, Services Australia may already have your financial details from DVA, so make sure they are up to date.
Something has gone wrong with a provider
Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission, 1800 951 822.
They handle complaints about registered providers, whether that is an aged care home or a home care service. You can complain openly, confidentially, or anonymously, though anonymous limits what they can investigate and means you will not hear the outcome.
You do not have to raise it with the provider first, although often that resolves it faster.
Providers are not permitted to victimise or discriminate against someone because they complained. That protection is in the Aged Care Act 2024.
I want someone independent on my side
Older Persons Advocacy Network, 1800 700 600.
Free, independent, and funded to advocate for the older person rather than for a provider or a government department. They can explain your rights, support you when you raise a concern with the provider or the Commission, and help at any stage of the process.
If you are getting nowhere with a provider, ring them before you ring anyone else.
I am caring for someone with dementia
National Dementia Helpline, 1800 100 500. Twenty four hours, every day. Run by Dementia Australia and funded by the Australian Government.
Free, staffed by people who know the territory, and useful for practical questions as well as difficult ones.
Dementia Support Australia, 1800 699 799. Also twenty four hours, but a different service. This one is for changes in behaviour, and it is aimed at carers and care staff who need clinical advice about a specific situation.
I think an older person is being abused or exploited
1800 353 374 connects you to the elder abuse helpline in your state or territory.
If the concern is about a registered aged care provider or its staff, the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission on 1800 951 822 is the right place. If someone is in immediate danger, call 000.
I am unhappy with how a complaint was handled
Ask the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission to reconsider its decision first.
If that does not resolve it, the Commonwealth Ombudsman on 1300 362 072 can review how a government body handled your matter.
Keep a record of each call
Keep a note of who you spoke to and when. You may be asked to tell your story more than once, and a note of dates and names can save time.