Juniper Residential Aged Care: How to apply

Starting your aged care journey begins with setting up your profile with My Aged Care. My Aged Care is the Federal Government’s organisation that supports you to find out more about aged care and what potential government-funded aged care services you may be able to receive.

Setting up a profile with My Aged Care allows you to check what services you may be eligible for. This can be done online or via a phone call to 1800 200 422.

Juniper tip

• You will need to provide some personal information such as your address and phone number.
• Have your Medicare card ready.
• You can register a trusted supporter to help you with decision-making in aged care. This supporter can be a family member, friend, or other trusted person. A supporter is there to support but not make decisions for you and has no legal authority. You can register a supporter with My Aged Care.
• You will need to share some of your current experiences with daily living.

Once you have given your details to My Aged Care you will receive a My Aged Care ID number which is unique to your profile. This is an important number to have throughout your journey so My Aged Care and the aged care provider you choose can quickly see all your details and updates in one place.

You may need to contribute to the cost of your Care services and Accommodation. Services Australia (or Department of Veterans’ Affairs for DVA customers) will calculate your contributions, and how much you pay depends on the results of your means assessment (your assets and income).

It is important you contact Services Australia, otherwise maximum contributions apply. You can call Services Australia on 1800 227 475.

To learn more about the costs and fees of Residential Aged Care, click here.

An assessment is where a person from My Aged Care talks to you about your circumstances so they can assess which services you qualify for and how much assistance you will receive.

During the assessment a nurse, social worker, or another government representative will visit your home. They will evaluate your physical and mental health, look at how you manage everyday activities, and ask questions to identify the support you need.

You can apply for an assessment with My Aged Care online or over the phone on 1800 200 422.

Other ways to get an assessment

A health or aged care professional can make a referral for an assessment for you using My Aged Care’s Make a referral tool. You can ask the below professionals to do this for you:

• Your GP, medical specialist or nurse;
• Hospital professional or administration staff;
• Community health professional;
• Community workers;
• Or aged care service provider (like Juniper).

The professional will require your Medicare or DVA details and personal information, including your date of birth and contact details.

Once you have been referred, a My Aged Care assessor will call (usually 2-6 weeks) to make a time for your assessment

Assessments are done in person, at your own home. This is where the assessor will determine what your needs are.

You should have handy:

• Medicare card and one other form of ID proof (DVA card, driver’s license, healthcare card, or passport)
• A support person (if you would like one)
• Any doctor referrals
• Your GP or other health professionals contact details
• Any information on any support you receive
• Let My Aged Care know if you need special assistance to communicate, such as a translator or Auslan interpreter

Juniper tip

The assessor is there to understand what daily life is really like for you. They’ll look at your clinical, independence, and everyday needs — things you might need help with to reach your goals. It’s important to be honest and share examples of how things may have recently changed.

Following your assessment, My Aged Care will send you a letter with your assessment results and if you are eligible for services.

A permanent residential referral code is needed to enter Residential Aged Care.

You can also see this information online on your My Aged Care account.

If you’ve decided that Juniper is the right fit for you and can meet your individual care needs, have a chat with our friendly Juniper team.

1. Choose a home if you have a preference

When selecting your preferred home, please note that we will consult with the care team to ensure the home can meet your clinical needs and provide the appropriate level of quality care for you.

2. Contact and personal information

We will need to know:

• Your personal details
• Your residential referral code from My Aged Care
• Your cultural information
• Any nominated representatives
• Your current living situation

3. Enduring power of attorney or guardianship

An Enduring Power of Guardianship (EPG) is a legal document that authorises a person of your choice to make important personal, lifestyle and treatment decisions on your behalf should you ever become incapable of making such decisions yourself.

The guardian’s role covers a set period of time. These decisions may take care of living arrangements, care services, medical and dental treatment. The guardian does not have the power to make decisions related to money or other financial arrangements.

If an EPG is in place, you will need to let Juniper know and provide a copy of the document confirming this.

An Enduring Power of Attorney (EPA) is a legal document a person can make that gives another person/s authority to manage financial and legal affairs, such as paying bills, handling investments, and managing property. An EPA does not cover personal, medical, or lifestyle decisions.

If an EPA is in place, you will need to let Juniper know and provide a copy of the document confirming this.

4. Financial Information

You will need to share with Juniper a copy of your outcome letter from your Income and Assets Means Assessment through Services Australia or Department of Veterans’ Affairs.

If you have yet to complete this assessment, you will need to provide Juniper some information on your assets and income. This will allow Juniper to provide you with an estimate of your potential fees.

If you choose not to complete a Government assessment, you will not be eligible for any government assistance and you will need to pay the maximum means tested fees on admission.

5. Declaration checklist

This allows you to check that you have fully completed required forms, sent through any required documents and signed all the information you have supplied is accurate.

Once Juniper receives all the required information you will join the waitlist.

Juniper tip

If you’re considering a Juniper Residential Aged Care Home, we have 24 homes spanning the Perth metropolitan area and parts of regional WA. You can read all about each location, and even watch a video about the home, by checking out our Locations page. This may help you decide whether there is a suitable Juniper home for you.

If you want to get a feel for a home before submitting an application, you can book a tour directly with a home by ringing the home to book a tour, or booking a tour online. Contact details for each home are available on each home’s website page. To see locations, click here.

When a suitable room becomes available Juniper will contact you and discuss:

• Viewing the room and meeting some of the home’s team
• Estimate of fees and payment options
• Any additional forms you may need to complete:
  • Pharmacy: You may wish to use the local pharmacy to supply any future medications.
  • Direct debit: For ongoing fees, such as the Basic Daily Fee that everyone contributes toward everyday living expenses, we prefer that payments are made by direct debit unless arrangements have been made to draw down from a lump sum payment. Ongoing financial statements will be provided by the Juniper Finance Team.
• Final agreement

This includes your rights and responsibilities moving into an aged care home and the agreed fees.

Juniper tip 

• Don’t be afraid to ask questions about what life is like within our homes. We have a range of services available across our homes, from an engaging lifestyle and therapy program, social outings to in-house care and support from our passionate team of professional nurses, allied health staff and carers.
• It may be helpful if you, or a loved one, take photos of the room you will be moving into so you can work out where and how much space you have for your belongings when you move in. It might also give you a peace of mind to configure the room space before officially moving in!

A warm welcome to Juniper! Our passionate team at your chosen location will help you get settled into your new home and provide any support you may need.

Once a date is confirmed and agreed, details on when and how you can move into your new home will be shared.

This includes date of admission, your key contacts at your aged care home, and if you would like to move any personal belongings in.

Juniper tip

• We encourage all our residents to bring their personal belongings and personalise their room. We want you to feel right at home at Juniper!
• Let your friends and family know your room number and the home’s address so that they can come and visit you at your new home.