Current location
You are here: glossary > sGlossary
S
Sanction
The Department of Health and Ageing (the Department) may impose sanctions if an approved provider is not complying with its responsibilities under the Aged Care Act 1997. The decision to impose sanctions is not taken lightly and includes consideration of issues such as whether the non-compliance is minor or serious, whether it has occurred before and whether it threatens the health, welfare or interests of the care recipients.Different sanctions may be imposed, depending on the circumstances of the non-compliance. In all cases, care recipients of the affected service receive a letter telling them about the problems that caused the sanction and what the service must do to fix these problems. The service is also expected to meet with care recipients, tell them about the identified problems and explain what the service will be doing to fix them. The Department closely monitors the service to ensure that problems are fixed quickly and that care recipients are supported during this challenging period.
Information is published about sanctions on the Department’s website and includes the names and addresses of services, the names of the relevant approved providers, the actions taken by the Department under the Aged Care Act 1997, the reasons for those actions, relevant dates and the status of the services.
Read more: Aged Care Home Finder
Read more: Aged Care - Sanctions and Notices of Non-Compliance
see the detailed definition
Security of tenure
Security of tenure is the security, or legal right of occupation, that a person has when a place in an aged care home is accepted.Read more: About security of tenure
Self-funded retiree / non-pensioner
People who fund their own retirement and don't receive any Australian Government means-tested pensions are known as self-funded retirees, and sometimes as non-pensioners.Read more: Non-pensioner or self-funded retiree
Self-management programs
Self-management programs for chronic diseases provide support for people managing their chronic illness, usually by assisting them to change their behaviour in ways that will improve their health.Separated due to ill health
There are some situations where, for pension purposes, Centrelink would treat you as a single person even if you are married or in a relationship. If a couple is separated because of illness, each person may be able to be paid at the single pension rate. The combined income and assets of the couple are used to work out their rates.Shadowing
Shadowing is a common anxious behaviour– where people with dementia follow the carer closely around the house like a shadow.Short-term care
There are two main types of short-term care available – respite care and transition care.Read more: About respite care
Read more: About transition care
Sickness Allowance
The Sickness Allowance is a Centrelink payment for people who are employed but are temporarily unable to work due to a medical condition.Social leave
All permanent residents of aged care homes are entitled to 52 nights away from the home without having to pay extra fees. This is known as social leave.Specified care and services
An aged care home is obliged to provide a range of care and services to residents at no additional cost to them. The care and services must be provided in a way which meets the requirements of the Aged Care Act 1997 including the Accreditation Standards. This range of care and services is known as specified care and services.Read more: care and services you can expect
see the detailed definition
Speech therapy
Speech therapy is the profession that provides information and assistance to people with speaking disorders, stroke related problems, hearing related disorders and swallowing problems.Read more: Speech therapy
Statutory Declaration
A Statutory Declaration is a written statement declared to be true in the presence of an authorised witness. A person wishing to use a statutory declaration in connection with a law of the Commonwealth, the Australian Capital Territory or certain other Territories must make the declaration in accordance with the Statutory Declarations Act 1959 (the Act).Stress incontinence
Stress incontinence is a small leak of urine associated with a physical activity such as coughing, laughing, physical exertion or getting up and bending over. The cause is weak pelvic floor muscles and exercising these muscles can help.Sundowning
Sundowning is when people with dementia become more confused, restless or insecure late in the afternoon or early evening. It can be worse after a move or a change in their routine. They may become more demanding, restless, upset, suspicious, disoriented and even see, hear or believe things that aren’t real, especially at night. Attention span and concentration can become even more limited. Some people may become more impulsive, responding to their own ideas of reality that may place them at risk.Supported resident
The Australian Government partially or fully subsidises the accommodation costs of residents with low assets.To be a supported resident:
* you must have first entered permanent residential aged care (or commenced pre-entry leave) on or after 20 March 2008, or have re-entered care (or commenced pre-entry leave), after a break of more than 28 days, on or after 20 March 2008, and
* the value of your assets is not more than the maximum asset threshold.
Please note: Supported residents with assets greater than 2.25 times the basic single age pension can still be required to pay an accommodation bond or a reduced amount of accommodation charge. The maximum amount that you can be asked to pay will depend on the amount of your assets.