Care types in Australia

Dementia care

Specialised dementia care recognises that residents with cognitive decline need different physical environments, staffing ratios + clinical pathways from standard residential care. Australia has an estimated 487,500 people living with dementia (Dementia Australia 2025). Of those in residential aged care, ~52% have a dementia diagnosis.

Palliative care

Palliative care in residential aged care is end-of-life care delivered on-site, avoiding hospital transfer in the final weeks or days. Australian residential aged-care homes that offer palliative pathway capability allow residents to die in place — supported by their familiar staff, in their own room — when this aligns with their advance care directive.

Respite care

Respite care is short-term residential aged care — typically 1 to 9 weeks — designed to give family carers a break or to cover periods when a senior cannot safely live at home (post-surgery recovery, carer illness, planned holidays). Around 72,000 Australians use residential respite each year per AIHW.