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A home may ask a resident to leave in only a limited number of circumstances and, even then, only once specific steps are taken. These circumstances include when the home no longer provides accommodation and care suitable for the resident, having regard to the resident's assessed long-term care needs, and the home has not agreed to provide care of the kind the resident now needs. If the home considers that suitable care can no longer be provided, then the resident must be assessed by either an aged care assessment team (ACAT), or at least two medical or other health practitioners (one of whom must be independent of the home or service, and must be chosen by the care recipient or the care recipient's appropriate representative). (An appropriate representative is someone with legal authority to represent the care recipient, such as a person exercising the care recipient's medical power of attorney.) Both of the above persons must be competent to assess the care recipient's care needs. If, following such an assessment, it is considered by the persons conducting the assessment that the present accommodation and care cannot continue to meet the care needs of the resident, then the process associated with requiring the resident to leave must be followed. This process a includes a written notice from the home setting out the resident's rights about leaving. The home must not take action to make the resident leave, or imply that the resident must leave, before suitable alternative accommodation is available that meets the resident's assessed long-term care needs and is affordable by the resident. The home will normally provide assistance in locating suitable alternative accommodation. For more information about this please contact the Aged Care Information line on 1800 500 853.
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