Just been told Mum needs care? Here’s where to start

It usually starts with a phone call. A fall, a hospital stay, or a doctor who gently says it’s not really safe for your mum to keep managing on her own. And just like that, you’re the one making decisions about aged care, a world you’ve probably never had to think about before now.

If that’s where you are today, take a breath. You don’t have to figure all of this out at once, and you’re not doing it on your own. Here are the first few steps that will help you move forward without feeling swept along by it all.

1. Give yourself permission to pause

That first conversation can feel like an emergency, but the truth is that very few of these decisions have to be made in a single day. Unless your mum is being sent home from hospital right away, you’ve usually got a bit of time to gather information and talk things through as a family. The decisions people tend to regret are the rushed ones, so give yourself some room to think.

2. Book an aged care assessment

Most government-funded aged care in Australia starts with an assessment. It’s free, there’s no obligation, and it’s really just a conversation, usually in your mum’s own home, to work out what kind of help she can get. That might be a little support around the house, or it might be full-time care.

You can request one through My Aged Care. It’s worth doing early, even before you’ve settled on a direction, because the assessment is what unlocks funded support and helps you see what’s actually realistic.

3. Get to know the main options

Aged care isn’t one single thing, and that’s part of what makes it feel so confusing at the start. Broadly, families look at three paths:

• Help at home, which covers things like cleaning, personal care, meals and nursing, so your mum can stay in her own home for longer. (In 2026 this now sits under the Support at Home program.)
• Residential aged care, a permanent move into a home that provides accommodation, meals and round-the-clock care.
• Respite care, short stays that give everyone a breather and a low-pressure way to try a home before making it permanent.

You don’t have to land on the “right” answer straight away. Plenty of families start with help at home and revisit things later as needs change.

4. Start comparing providers early

This is the step families most often leave too late. Availability, location, the feel of a place and the cost can vary hugely from one provider to the next, and the good ones fill up fast. Starting your search early means you get to choose calmly, rather than settling for whatever happens to be left.

The simplest way to get your bearings is to browse providers in your mum’s area and compare them side by side: what they offer, where they are, and what other families have said. It turns one big, overwhelming decision into a short list you can actually work through.

Search and compare aged care providers near your mum → here

5. Look after yourself too

Being the person who sorts out care for a parent is a real job, and it lands on top of everything else in your life. So lean on your siblings, ask providers all your “silly” questions (there’s no such thing), and remember that finding good care for your mum is a kindness to you as well.

You’ve already done the hardest part. You’ve started. One step at a time, you’ll get there. 

Ready to see what’s out there? Search and compare aged care providers in your area on Aged Care Guide and build a shortlist in minutes.