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Call the Aged Care Advocacy Line, our national team of advocates is available Monday to Friday 8am–8pm and Saturday 10am-4pm 

1800 700 600

Supported decision-making

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Introduction

Supported decision-making is when you receive support to make and communicate your own decisions, rather than having decisions made for you. This allows you to remain in control of your own life.

Your decision-making rights

You have the right to make decisions about your life, including the support and services you receive in aged care.

This means that you have the right to:

  • Make decisions on your own
  • Be provided with accessible services
  • Access information in a way you can understand
  • Be supported to make decisions, if you want to be
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What is supported decision making?

Everyone has the right to make decisions about their life, including the support and services they receive from aged care. Some older people may want and need support to make these decisions.

YOU DO NOT NEED TO HAVE SOMEONE SUPPORT YOU TO MAKE DECISIONS, YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO MAKE DECISIONS ON YOUR OWN.

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Role of aged care services

Under the new Aged Care Act, the decision-making rights are strengthened by clearly stating them in the Statement of Rights and these rights are reinforced in the Statement of Principles, the requirements when undertaking aged care assessments, and in the Strengthened Quality Standards.

Your decision-making rights must be supported by all aged care services, including:

  • Aged care providers (including CHSP, Support at Home, residential care providers, and flexible care providers)
  • Aged care needs assessors (who work at Single Assessments Services)
  • My Aged Care staff
  • Care finders
  • The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commissioner
  • The Complaints Commissioner
Learn more

Choosing your supporters

You might want another person, or a range of other people, to support you to understand information, consider your options, and communicate your decisions. These people are called ‘supporters’.

SUPPORTERS CANNOT MAKE DECISIONS FOR YOU.

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Questions and concerns?

You should contact an advocate immediately on 1800 700 600 if your situation is causing you significant distress. If you are in immediate danger, call 000.

Questions, concerns and complaints about aged care services

If you are unsure about if you should, or how you can, register your supporters, contact an independent aged care advocate by phoning the Aged Care Advocacy Line on 1800 700 600, for free, independent and confidential referrals to legal services.

1800 700 600

Questions, concerns and complaints about registered supporters

Do you have questions about who your substitute decision-makers are, why they are now involved in making decisions for you, or what they can do and when? Contact an independent aged care advocate by phoning the Aged Care Advocacy Line on 1800 700 600, for free, independent and confidential referrals to legal services.

1800 700 600

Questions, concerns and complaints about substitute decision-makers

If you have questions about what decision-making supports you are able to request, contact an independent aged care advocate by phoning the Aged Care Advocacy Line on 1800 700 600, for free, independent and confidential referrals to legal services.

1800 700 600
Learn more

Planning ahead and keeping track of the people who support you can make things easier when decisions need to be made about your care, services, or daily life. 

The My Supporter List is a tool to help you record the names of the people who support you in different ways.

For each type of supporter, we’ve included:

  • a short explanation of their role and what they can (and can’t) do,
  • links to further information, and
  • a space for you to add the names of your supporters, so you can create a personalised list to print and keep.
Learn more
Start the Toolkit

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