Why placement services are free for families
This is the question almost every family asks first. The answer is that placement consultants are paid by the aged-care provider, not by you. When a consultant successfully places a resident, the home pays a fee, typically $2,500-$3,500. It is the same model as a mortgage broker being paid by the lender, or a recruiter being paid by the employer.
That model is legitimate and widely used, but it does create a question worth asking directly: does the consultant present every suitable home, or only the homes that pay them? A good consultant works across a broad panel and is transparent about it. Before you engage anyone, ask them to confirm in writing that they charge families nothing and to explain exactly how they are paid.
What a placement consultant does for you
| Task | What it involves |
|---|---|
| Vacancy matching | Identifying which homes near you actually have a bed now, not just a waitlist |
| Care-level matching | Aligning ACAT-approved care level (including dementia or palliative needs) to the right home |
| ACQSC due diligence | Checking star ratings and any compliance or complaint history |
| Means-assessment help | Explaining what Services Australia will charge and how the means-tested fee works |
| RAD negotiation | Negotiating the deposit or a RAD/DAP split, often worth thousands |
When to use a placement service, and when not to
Use one when the decision is urgent (a parent cannot safely return home after hospital), when you live interstate or overseas from the person needing care, or when you simply do not have the 10-30 hours that thorough research and touring takes. The aged-care system is genuinely complex and emotionally draining, and a consultant compresses weeks of work into days.
Do it yourself when you have time on your side, you already have one or two preferred homes in mind, and you are comfortable reading ACQSC ratings and touring. Our city guides make the DIY path much faster – compare ranked homes for aged care in Perth and aged care in Adelaide on star rating, beds and ownership.
How the regulatory due diligence works
Every residential aged-care home in Australia is regulated by the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission (ACQSC). The most important public signal is the ACQSC star rating, which combines four pillars: overall rating, compliance, quality measures and resident experience. A separate signal worth checking is care minutes – the sector target is 215 minutes of care per resident per day, including registered-nurse time. A strong consultant will check these for you; if you are doing it yourself, both are published on myagedcare.gov.au.
Find placement help in your area
We list residential aged-care homes and connect families with placement consultants across Western Australia and South Australia. Start with the suburb where care is needed:
- Aged care placement consultants in Fremantle – WA
- Aged care placement consultants in Perth – WA
- Aged care placement consultants in North Adelaide – SA