Top things to consider before choosing a nursing home

Choosing a nursing home is usually done under pressure. A hospital discharge date is looming, a package at home is no longer enough, or a fall has changed everything in a week. The temptation is to take the first bed with a nice foyer. Slow down for an afternoon. The information below is public, most of it is free, and it will change which homes make your shortlist.

01 Check the official Star Rating first

Every home has a rating from 1 to 5, built from resident interviews, compliance, staffing and quality measures. Only 6.5% of homes hold 5 stars and no home currently holds 1 or 2, so 3 is the bottom of the range in practice.

02 Look at staffing, not just the star

Homes must deliver 215 care minutes a day per resident, including 44 from a registered nurse. Only 63.6% met both targets last quarter, and the public data shows each home's actual minutes.

03 Understand what it will actually cost

Everyone pays the basic daily fee, $66.80 a day from July 2026. Means-tested contributions come on top. Get the means assessment done before you visit and ask for a written fee estimate.

04 Decide how to pay for the room

A refundable deposit, a daily payment, or a mix. The average deposit held is $417,444 and homes can charge up to $789,686 without approval. Get advice; it affects the home, the pension and the estate.

05 Match the home to the care needed later

More than half of residents live with dementia. Ask about secure memory support, palliative care in the home, and whether a resident can stay in the same room as needs increase.

06 Read the quality indicators

Nationally 31.1% of residents had a fall last quarter, 20.7% were subject to restrictive practices and 17.8% were prescribed antipsychotics. Ask how the home compares.

07 Check the compliance and complaints history

82.7% of homes hold 5 stars for Compliance, so anything lower means there's a decision on the record. The Commission's audit reports are public.

08 Take food and daily life seriously

Food scores lowest in resident interviews. See the menu, eat a meal there, and ask what a typical weekday looks like.

09 Visit properly, and more than once

Go back unannounced in the late afternoon or on a weekend. Talk to residents and visiting families, not just the manager.

10 Read the agreement before you sign

Under the Aged Care Act 2024 you have a cooling-off period. Read the fee, exit and refund sections, and use respite care to try a home first.

Read the full guide and the ten-point checklist

Sources: Department of Health, Disability and Ageing Star Ratings extract, August 2026; Quarterly Financial Snapshot Q3 2025–26; Schedule of fees 1 July 2026; AIHW quality indicators January–March 2026. Full figures on our statistics page. General information, not financial or medical advice.

James Keane
Founder and Editor, Aged Care Checker
agedcarechecker.com