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Eligibility and standards
If your care is going to take place at home and in the community, you can expect your dignity and independence to be respected. You also have the right to be treated as an individual and to have your cultural background and personal beliefs respected.
Your rights
When you're receiving care you have the right to have your privacy and confidentiality respected, together with the right to access any of your personal information kept by your care providers.Charter of rights and services
Charter of Rights and Responsibilities for Community Care
Read more: About your rights
Maintaining independence
To be eligible to care for older Australians, service providers must agree to respect your rights, and promote your dignity and independence.Read more: About maintaining your independence
Being assessed
An Aged Care Assessment Team (ACAT or ACAS in Victoria) (more information) assessment is necessary to determine your eligibility for some community care or aged care. Government programs such as Home and Community Care (HACC) and National Respite for Carers Program (NRCP) (more information) do not require an ACAT assessment. If you choose to be considered for a program which requires an assessment you will not be charged and you’re entitled to have your carer present at all discussions.Read more: About being assessed
Standards of care
All community care service providers have to meet consistent Australian Government standards in the quality and delivery of their services and in the way they treat you.Read more: About standards of care
Quality Reporting
Quality Reporting was implemented in July 2005 by the Australian Government to ensure that quality services are delivered to people through programs such as, Community Aged Care Packages (CACP) (more information), Extended Aged Care at Home (EACH) (more information), Extended Aged Care at Home Dementia (EACHD) (more information), the Commonwealth HACC Program and the NRCP.Read more: About Quality Reporting
Common questions on this topic:
- My husband needs help as well. Do we both qualify, or is the help only available to one of us?
- How can I receive services/s from the Home and Community Care (HACC) Program?
- I haven't had an Aged Care Assessment Team assessment yet. Can I still get help?
See more common questions on this topic | See all common questions