Beginning your aged care journey can feel like a lot — new websites, new acronyms, a queue of decisions. We’re here to make it feel like a welcome instead. And if you’d rather have a conversation than navigate a screen, our concierge team would love to talk it through. We’re only ever a phone call away.
Positive aged care
How it Works
five easy steps
How to get started with Symbol
Starting your aged care journey doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. We’ll guide you through each step, from registering with My Aged Care to creating a personalised care plan, so you can move forward with confidence.
Need a little guidance? If you have questions at any stage of the process, simply get in touch. Our Symbol concierges are here to explain each step, help you understand your options and make the journey as straightforward as possible.
Registering with My Aged Care:
If you’re starting to consider aged care, the first step is to get in contact and register with My Aged Care (MAC). You can do this over the phone (1800 200 422) or through their website, myagedcare.gov.au.
If you’d like a hand getting started, a Symbol concierge can guide you through the process, answer your questions and refer you to My Aged Care if needed. You can also speak with your GP, hospital or an allied health professional.
The Assessment:
Once you’ve registered with My Aged Care, a member of the Aged Care Assessment Team (ACAT) will visit to get an understanding of your unique world. Their team will have a look at your health, home and, most importantly, how you want to live.
From here, you will receive your Notice of Decision and a Support Plan. Don’t worry, this is simply a clear confirmation of your classification or pathway – outlining the level of Support at Home funding that fits you. You will then enter the Support at Home Priority System. This is simply the national queue where funding will be allocated to your needs.
While you wait for your full funding, you can get in touch with Symbol and discuss support in the meantime, to make sure your wants and needs aren’t put on hold.
Moving ahead with interim funding:
While it may take a moment for government funding to come through, we don’t think that means your wants and needs should be ignored. While your full funding allocation is being processed, the Support At Home program may release ‘Interim Funding’ – providing 60% of your budget immediately!
This means you can begin experiencing your most important support services, without delay. When the full funding comes in, your care plan will simply expand. No matter your situation, Symbol’s spirit and purpose remains the same: creating moments of joy, enhancing and embracing the lifestyle you want.
Choosing Symbol:
From here, it’s your choice to choose an aged care provider that suits you. Once you have been allocated your funding, you have a 56 day window to choose – and if you need more time to think it over, this period is easily extended to 84 days. My Aged Care will never recommend or assign providers. Instead, you have the freedom to explore their Find A Provider directory, or enquire to a provider directly.
If you’re ready to choose Symbol, or just want to have a chat about what a future together could look like, please enquire here or give us a call on (08) 6288 7373 to chat with one of our concierges. You can also find us in My Aged Care’s directory. We can’t wait to get to know you and start our journey together.
Creating a care plan:
Once we’ve received your referral, the hard part is behind you – now it’s our turn to look after the details. We’ll make sure everything is sorted and then reach out to hear about your goals and set a starting date that suits you. From there, we’ll draw up a Service Agreement and Care Plan for us both to sign, just to make sure that we’re all on the same page and Symbol’s care is exactly as you want it.
With that all sorted, we get on with what matters most: providing Symbol’s hospitality flavoured care and creating the life you want. Our concierges and Member Experience team will handle all the things in the background, meaning you can relax and enjoy every day, knowing all the little things are taken care of.
Prefer to speak with someone directly?
Our dedicated concierge team is ready to guide you through each stage, explain what to expect, and help you feel supported from day one. Give us a call on (08) 6288 7373 to start the conversation today.
Support at Home: Ongoing classifications (Levels 1–8)
These levels have recently replaced the old Home Care Package Levels 1–4.
We regularly revisit and review your classification and where you see yourself, making sure we grow together.
| The classifications | The purpose | The journey | How to begin | How to begin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Levels 1–2 | Foundational support to keep your daily routine effortless and your life full of pleasure. | Ongoing and able to seamlessly evolve alongside you as your priorities change. | An in-home conversation with an ACAT assessor, leading to your approved Support At Home plan. | Concierge-led support for you and your home, friendly transport, and curated meal preparation - all designed to enhance your lifestyle. |
| Levels 3–5 | A consistent and intuitive presence designed to add warmth and ease to your everyday. | Ongoing and thoughtfully reviewed - either yearly or whenever you desire a change | The same simple assessment from ACAT, tailored to your specific wants and lifestyle goals. | Personal assistance, vibrant social connection, handpicked meals, and keeping your home to our signature standard. |
| Levels 6–8 | Comprehensive involvement, making sure even the most complex days are deeply supported and filled with moments of joy. | Ongoing with frequent and attentive check-ins to ensure perfect alignment with your needs and routine | The same Support At Home assessment, focused on unlocking a higher tier of comprehensive funding for more complex lives. | Specialised and expert health professionals, daily personal connection, and considered coordination of all your support - with our hospitality warmth. |
Support at Home: Short-term pathways
For those that do not need ongoing support, Symbol – as part of the Support at Home act – offer three short term pathways for different stages of life
| The pathways | The purpose | The journey | How to begin | Our signature services |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Restorative Care Pathway | Re-discovering your rhythm after a change in health or a hospital stay. | Up to 16 weeks of personalised, patient and adaptive support until you are feeling yourself again. | An in-home conversation with an ACAT assessor, leading to your approved Support At Home plan. | Whether it is working alongside an experienced physiotherapist or gentle nursing and exercise program, we focus on getting you back living your life. |
| End-of-Life Pathway | Coordinated and soulful care for people expected to live ≤ 3 months. | 12 weeks (extendable to 16) of finding moments of joy and reflection, making their journey as smooth as possible. | an ACAT assessment where end-of-life criteria are met. Our Symbol team will provide clarity and peace-of-mind for loved ones. | Beyond palliative nursing and end-of-life planning, Symbol provides sanctuary, built with human connection. We ensure you and your family are understood, uplifted, and deeply supported. |
| Assistive Technology & Home Modifications (AT-HM) | Personalising your home to grow with you, sourcing and installing equipment to keep you in your home. | A 12 month window to thoughtfully plan out and enhance your home. | ACAT approval for AT-HM tier plus OT or or clinician recommended approval for large items. | Redesigning your home with new equipment such as grab rails, ramps, mobility aids, and bathroom modifications, all with consideration for your daily flow. |
Getting started.
Getting started with aged care can feel overwhelming — the system is complex, the steps aren’t always clear, and it’s easy to feel stuck. But it doesn’t have to be. Your concierge will guide you through each stage, explain what to expect, and help you feel supported from day one.
Tell us a bit about yourself
Choose the option that resonates with you.
Keen on an immediate introduction?
Are you ready to start experiencing Symbol, but still waiting on government funding? Get in touch with our team today and we can discuss whether some interim, self-funded support could be of use to you.