Every home shows well on a tour. What separates a good aged care home from an average one is staffing, consistency and how they handle hard days — not the furniture. Australia gives you two useful tools: the Star Ratings published on My Aged Care, and the strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards that took effect with the new Act.
Start with the Star Rating
Each home has an Overall Star Rating built from four areas: Residents’ Experience, Compliance, Staffing (including mandated care minutes) and Quality Measures. Look beneath the overall number — a home can score well overall but poorly on staffing.
What to ask and look for
Ask about care minutes per resident, whether a registered nurse is on site 24/7, staff turnover, and how they manage changed behaviours in dementia. Visit at mealtime and mid-afternoon, not just at 10 a.m., and see whether residents are up, dressed and engaged.
A ready-to-send message
Hello,
we are considering your aged care home for my parent and would like to visit.
Could you tell me your care minutes per resident and whether a registered nurse is on site 24/7?
What is your current Overall Star Rating, and what is the wait for a room?
Thank you,
[Name]
[Phone]
How to use this guide in practice
Don’t read this as general information — use it as a worksheet. Write down the details of the person who needs care, the current limits of the situation at home, the monthly budget, the documents you already have, whether they’ve registered with My Aged Care and had an assessment, and who you’ve already spoken with. Then turn every unclear point into a specific question. A family that arrives with a clear picture usually gets more useful answers than one calling under stress with scattered information.
Keep one simple rule: anything about admission, cost, funding, waitlists and whether a home fits must be confirmed directly with the aged care home or the competent authority serving your area. This guide prepares the search — it does not replace official decisions.
Want a clear shortlist before you start calling?
If you don’t know which aged care homes to contact first, Curalune Care Help can prepare an ordered shortlist of 3–5 suitable homes — with Star Ratings, contacts, useful links and a ready-to-send enquiry.
The service helps you organise the search. It does not replace the home’s own assessment or the My Aged Care process, and it does not guarantee admission, price or a room.
Important limit
Curalune offers practical help with the search and orientation. Admission, pricing, room availability, eligibility and the final assessment always rest with the aged care homes and the competent authorities (My Aged Care, Services Australia for the means assessment, and the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission).