In accordance with the Retirement Village Act 1999, clients must be aged 55 years or older to live at Carrington.

At Carrington we provide support so you are able to live the way you choose.  We offer a wide range of quality services including domestic duties, personal care and shopping.  These services are made via referral to our Community Care Team who will assess  your individual needs and package a service tailored for you to stay living independently.

There are NO hidden restrictions. All information regarding Carrington is made available to you at all times.

Yes, Carrington will now be your home; we encourage our residents to have visits from family and friends including casual overnight stays. The Carrington Recreation and Leisure Club and its facilities are available for use by all independent living residents and their guests.

There are many car parking spaces available for you, your family and friends to visit.

All of Carrington’s independent living units have their own garden areas. Our residents are encouraged to maintain these gardens to enhance the beauty of our community.

If you do not wish to or are unable to maintain your own garden area, our friendly and helpful gardening team will be happy to assist with planting of low maintenance shrubbery and will spray and mulch your garden as needed.

In line with the village rules adopted by the residents of Carrington we do not permit domestic pets permanently on the site other than a caged bird or fish.

RECURRENT CHARGES

The monthly charge covers all buildings, grounds and property repairs and maintenance, all insurances (other than contents) council and water rates.

DEPARTURE FEES

Departure fees are payable on or after termination of the contract. Departure fees are calculated on a daily basis based on the ingoing contribution.

FINANCIAL/LEGAL ARRANGEMENTS

The ingoing contribution is refunded to you (or transferred to other accommodation at Carrington) less the non-refundable component.  A resident’s contract is completed with Carrington, which owns and operates the Village.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Once a prospective resident has been formally offered a unit:

• The resident will be required to pay a deposit for the unit.
• The deposit is fully refundable, if the client changes their mind about occupying the unit, or they cannot find the money to pay for the unit.
• The deposit secures the unit, and it is not made available to any other prospective resident for a period of three months from receipt of deposit.

The contract will be a residence agreement with Carrington which provides you with a license to occupy the accommodation selected by you. This contract will also include content relating to the fees and charges.

If in the future you are unable to live independently and require higher levels of care, Carrington will ensure that you are first a priority in providing the care you need (depending on availability).

These options will be assessed and discussed with you and your family as we tailor your care to meet your individual needs.

For further assistance regarding Carrington’s Independent Living Units, please contact our Village Customer Service Coordinator at customerservice@carringtoncare.com.au or phone 1300 590 590.

Alternatively, if you are not quite ready to purchase a unit but would like to go on to our waiting list we can provide an application form for you to complete.

Our waiting list is maintained by a `date of application’ priority, and an estimated date that you may want to become a resident in Carrington is required. As a vacant unit becomes available you may be contacted to ask if you are interested in viewing the unit at this time. If not, you will be contacted again as other units become available in the future.

It is highly recommended that if your circumstances change at any time that you contact us so we can make the appropriate changes.

Moving into a care facility is never an easy decision to make. The first signs that can let you know if you need to consider care is if you are in need of assistance with activities of daily living and when normal day-to-day tasks have become too difficult to manage without help from others.

The best thing to do is discuss this with someone who respects your situation and knows you well. This could be a family member, a trusted friend or your local doctor. Another way to understand your needs is to consult with the Aged Care Assessment Team (ACAT), they specialise in this area.

Regardless of your situation you will need to have an assessment with the ACAT team prior to entering residential aged care. So it may be a good idea to speak to them and tell them about your needs and learn what options are available for you.

An assessment is an evaluation by a member of the Aged Care Assessment Team (ACAT) who is a health care professional in the area of aged care.

They will visit you and ask you some questions about your life and lifestyle to find the best possible care options for you. You may have anyone present with you for the assessment, such as a carer or family member. You can also instruct your family doctor to provide your medical history to the ACAT representative.

This is known as Respite Care. Respite is a period of temporary accommodation in a residential aged care facility, which may be required for a number of reasons which can include:

• Trying out a care home before making a decision to move permanently.
• A carer or support person might be going away on a holiday or unavailable for a period of time.
• In emergency situations.

Anyone with an ACAT assessment can access 63 days of respite care per financial year.

Carrington provides Respite Care in conjunction with the Commonwealth Respite and Carelink Centre. Please call them on 1800 052 222 for all respite bookings.

Carrington employs passionate and qualified care staff including Registered Nurses, Care Team Leaders, Care Service Employees and allied health professionals to provide care and services to all our residents. Carrington staff are trained to uphold our values and philosophy of person centred care. Carrington has a code of conduct and ethics which ensures all residents are safe and nurtured in our care.

Carrington provides the full range of personal care options to suit individual needs and abilities.  All personal care is provided in a dignified and respectful environment.

A resident’s fees and charges can be made up of 3 components:

1. Accommodation Payment +
2. Basic Daily Care Fee +
3. *Means-tested Care Contribution (not everyone needs to pay this)

What someone will pay is very much based on their own individual financial situation.

Included in the fees are:

• Accommodation
• Nursing care by qualified staff
• Nutritious meals catered to individual dietary requirements
• General laundry and cleaning services
• Assistance with activities of daily living, such as bathing, toileting, dressing, eating and general mobility
• A range of toiletry items

Yes. The following additional items are at each resident’s cost: Medications, personal effects such as clothing, hairdressing, alcohol, dry cleaning, postage and telephone, Foxtel, newspapers/magazines, individual toiletry items.

Carrington promotes a person centred care approach which includes supporting a resident’s independence, choice and consultative decision making.

Yes, if your doctor is willing to continue your care in residential aged care. If not, we will supply you with a list of visiting doctors from which you may select the doctor of your choice.

Individual interests, customs, beliefs, cultural and ethnic lifestyles are encompassed by the Diversional Therapy service. Each of our facilities hold regular resident meetings and we encourage you to attend and provide us with feedback.

All meals are cooked on site by professional chefs and the menu is designed with a dietitian.

Yes. We have our own air-conditioned bus, fitted with an electronic lift for wheel chairs, which is shared by our group of facilities. Our outings are varied and suitable for all of our residents’ enjoyment. When space permits and in consultation with staff, family are welcome to accompany residents.

Absolutely, we encourage all of our residents to have visitors.

We encourage and welcome relatives and friends to join in all the activities held in our facilities including celebrations for special events, such as Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and birthdays. Notices and flyers are posted on our notice boards with upcoming activities and events.

Yes you can. Depending upon the type of television, you may need to provide a suitable TV stand or wall bracket. Foxtel is also available. Installation and subscription costs will be at the resident’s own expense.

This is your home and we encourage you to decorate your personal space in a way that reflects you, with photos, pictures, etc. Items of furniture such as a comfortable chair may be brought into the home in consultation with the staff prior to admission, if the room space allows it.

Deciding you need help is not an easy decision and there may come a time you may find it difficult to manage at home with day-to-day living activities.

We can help and provide our clients with many different services including showering, getting to medical appointments, visiting the library, going out to lunch and meeting friends, shopping and preparing meals.

If you want to find out what’s available and how to get started, our Community Care service team will be able to assist you.

Whatever your needs might be, once you decide you would like help at home there are different types of government approved aged care services that will enable Carrington to provide to support you.

What next?

First you will need to contact the My Aged Care service on 1800 200 422

My Aged Care is a website and contact centre set up by the Government to help providers and consumers navigate the aged care system.

You can call the My Aged Care contact centre on 1800 200 422, Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm and on Saturdays, 10am to 2pm, local time across Australia.

If you are deaf or have a hearing or speech impairment, you can get help through the National Relay Service (NRS). Call 1800 555 677 and ask for 1800 200 422 (consumers).

Alternatively, you can visit the NRS website at www.relayservice.gov.au and choose your preferred access point.

When you call My Aged Care they will help you and discuss the types of services you need. They will create a client record and refer you for an assessment. An assessor will meet with you to discuss your needs at home.  You may consider some of the following services you might need help with:

• Help with housework
• Help with personal care such as bathing, showering and dressing
• Help with meals and food preparation
• Help staying physically active
• Social support and activities
• Help with transport
• Nursing care
• Allied health support such as physiotherapy, podiatry or a dietician
• Maintenance and modifications to your home
• Goods and equipment to help you
• People you can talk with through counselling services

Once you have been assessed by My Aged Care you can then pick your service and contact Carrington Community Care on 4645 0341 to get started.

Yes, you will have to pay a contribution to your daily care and this can be discussed directly with our professional Client Care Co-ordinators.

Contributions vary depending on a income tested fee from the Government.

The Governments website can explain how the fees are worked out.

https://www.myagedcare.gov.au/estimate-fees-for-aged-care-services

Carrington Community Care employs their own staff and only uses contractors for home maintenance / modifications and some allied health services, such as podiatry, massage, occupational therapy and counselling.

Carrington Community Care has a complaints policy and you are able to call you Client Care Co-ordinator directly if you have any complaints or concerns about the service you are receiving.

Once you sign a Service Agreement with Carrington Community Care you will be provided with a home folder  which will show your person centred Care Plan and the schedule of when your services will be booked in for. All of this will be discussed with you while we develop your Individualised Care Plan together.

All Carrington Community Care employees are certified in ageing, disability or community care. This includes first aid, manual handling and clinical care. We also have a Registered Nurse and Physiotherapist on staff.

Please speak to your Client Care Co-ordinator directly. We will monitor and review your needs formally every 12 months or as your needs change during the course of the year. We are here to help support you in your home and help you to stay as independent as possible.

Here are links to information provided by the government on Aged Care in the home:

https://agedcare.health.gov.au/programs

 Commonwealth Home Support Program

https://www.myagedcare.gov.au/aged-care-services/commonwealth-home-support-programme

Home Care Packages

https://www.myagedcare.gov.au/aged-care-services/home-care-packages

Carrington is able to offer Community Care services in the following regions: