Role of aged care services

Supported decision-making toolkit

Your decisions, your care - know your rights and options

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. Explore the topics below to start.

Home Supported Decision Toolkit Role of aged care services

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 are 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

Examples of the sorts of decision-making supports you can ask for are:

To receive information in your preferred way, for example in your first language, verbally, on paper, or in pictures.
To communicate your decision in your preferred way, for example through non-verbal communication like gestures, on paper, verbally, or in your preferred language.
More time to make a decision, or to be asked to make the decision at another time.
To be able to make the decision in a different place where you feel safer and more supported.
Support from a communication professional, like a hearing practitioner or speech pathologist, so you can communicate clearly.
Support from an advocate to understand your options and make sure your voice is heard.
Support from another person.

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
Independent aged care advocates working for the OPAN network
Elder Care Support Program workers
National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Flexible Aged Care Program (NATSIFAC) staff
Dementia Behaviour Management Advisory Services staff

At any point in your aged care journey, you can apply the CAR test and see if you feel like your decision-making rights are being upheld by the aged care service.

Role of aged care services

Supported decision-making toolkit

Your decisions, your care - know your rights and options

Role of aged care services

Support

Education

Information

About us