Since the new Aged Care Act began, a registered supporter can help an older person obtain information, understand choices and communicate decisions through My Aged Care. The title sounds more powerful than it is. A supporter does not automatically become a guardian, attorney, Centrelink nominee or substitute decision-maker. Getting this boundary right protects the older person’s control and prevents a provider from treating the most confident relative as the decision-maker.
support an older person who does not want to move; check residential agreements before anyone signs; compare Australian aged care homes and their services.
The older person remains the decision-maker
Supported decision-making starts with a presumption that the older person can make decisions. A registered supporter may help request, access and understand information and communicate the person’s wishes. They should not substitute their preferred outcome, even when it appears safer. Ask providers to address the older person directly and adapt pace, language, hearing support or format before turning to the supporter.
Do not merge separate legal roles
A My Aged Care supporter relationship does not replace an enduring power of attorney, guardian, medical treatment decision-maker, NDIS nominee, Medicare authority or Services Australia nominee. One person may hold several roles, but each comes from a separate appointment and has its own scope. Bring the relevant document for the particular decision rather than relying on a family label such as “next of kin.”
Choose supporters for function, not family rank
An older person can have more than one registered supporter. One may understand finances, another daily care and another the person’s language or communication. Discuss how they will avoid conflicting messages and protect privacy. A large group is not automatically better. Select people who listen, explain neutrally, keep records secure and can separate the person’s preference from their own anxiety.
- What information each supporter needs
- How the older person wants choices explained
- Who communicates with providers on routine matters
- How disagreement between supporters is resolved
- When the relationship should be reviewed or ended
Supporters have duties, not ownership of the record
The role carries expectations to act honestly, diligently and in good faith, promote the person’s will and preferences, and support their decision-making ability. Access to information should serve that purpose. It is not permission to share records across the family, manage money or consent to treatment. Ask My Aged Care what information will be visible and how the older person can change permissions.
Watch for provider shortcuts
A rushed provider may call the supporter first, seek their signature or ask them to “convince Mum.” Correct the process early: request accessible information for the older person, note which legal authority applies and document the resident’s answer. If staff believe the person lacks ability for a specific decision, ask what assessment and state or territory law they rely on. Registration alone does not prove incapacity.
Prepare for conflict, abuse or a change of trust
The older person can ask to end a supporter relationship. Concerns about a supporter’s conduct can also enter the complaint and safeguard processes under the Act. Keep finances separate, avoid pressuring for gifts or signatures and document major communications. If there is immediate risk, use the appropriate safeguarding, police or emergency route; do not rely only on changing an online relationship.
Use a clean authority table at admission
Create a table listing the decision, the older person’s ability and preference, the supporter’s assistance, and any separate legal representative. Include My Aged Care, residential agreement, health treatment, privacy, banking and Centrelink. Give the provider only the documents relevant to its work and update expired or revoked appointments.
At the first care conference, ask staff to explain how they will involve the resident in everyday choices, not merely major signatures. Clothing, meals, waking, visitors and activities are decisions too. A registered supporter can help communication, but the home should build direct knowledge of the resident.
Review the table after hospitalisation, cognitive change, family conflict or a move. Ability can vary by decision and support available. The purpose is not to create a permanent hierarchy; it is to stop assumptions while making it easy for staff to find the correct person when genuine authority is required.
Agree on a meeting method before urgency. The supporter can prepare options in plain language, check what the older person understood, ask for a pause and communicate the decision back. They should record the person’s words rather than a polished family interpretation. For a complex choice, ask the provider to give information in advance so the supporter is not pressured to answer during a sales call or hospital deadline.
Keep access proportionate. A supporter may need care plans and fee information to help compare homes, but may not need unrelated historical health records. Ask whether information can be limited by topic or time and how copies are secured. If several supporters are registered, do not assume each wants or should receive every document. The older person’s wishes should guide the distribution.
When the person’s preference involves risk, document the discussion rather than replacing it with the family’s safest option. Ask what support could make the preference workable and which risk the provider considers unacceptable. Supported decision-making includes the dignity of ordinary risk. It does not require a supporter to endorse dangerous neglect, but it does require honest explanation, alternatives and the correct legal process for any decision the person cannot make.
Can a registered supporter sign the resident agreement?
Not merely because they are registered. They may help the older person understand and communicate, but signing authority depends on the older person’s decision and any separate lawful appointment. Ask the provider to identify the basis for the signature it requests. Obtain legal advice where capacity, authority or financial liability is disputed.
Did old My Aged Care representatives transfer automatically?
Many active regular and authorised representative relationships transitioned to registered supporter relationships when the new Act commenced, unless an opt-out or other exception applied. That transition did not convert them into every other type of nominee or attorney. Check the current My Aged Care record rather than assuming an old arrangement remains unchanged.
What needs direct verification?
Confirm current supporter registration, information access, duties, complaint routes and any separate state or territory authority with My Aged Care, the provider and relevant legal or guardianship service. The home must confirm its admission and consent processes. General information cannot decide a person’s ability, authorise a signature or resolve a contested legal appointment.