Can younger people with a disability live in residential aged care?
Specialised Care: Dementia, Respite & Palliative
Younger People in Aged Care
Ask Liz for personalised guidance
In short...
Residential aged care is generally not the intended long-term home for younger people with disability. Entry is tightly restricted, and younger people should usually be supported through disability, health and housing systems instead.
The details...
Can younger people with a disability live in residential aged care?
Sometimes, but only in limited circumstances.
Australia’s residential aged care system is designed mainly for older people. A person under 65 with disability would usually be expected to explore more age-appropriate accommodation and support through the NDIS, health system, disability services and housing programs before entering an aged care home.
Who under 65 may still be eligible?
Under the current Aged Care Act, government-funded aged care may be available to a person with assessed care needs who is:
aged 65 or older
an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person aged 50 or older
aged 50 or older and homeless or at risk of homelessness
already living in an aged care home or already receiving aged care services.
A younger person who meets one of these categories must still complete an aged care needs assessment. Before accessing aged care, they should also be given the opportunity to consider other services and accommodation that may better suit their age, disability and preferences.
A disability diagnosis by itself does not make a person under 65 eligible for residential aged care.
What should be considered instead?
For many younger people with permanent and significant disability, the main pathway is the NDIS.
Depending on eligibility and assessed needs, alternatives may include:
Specialist Disability Accommodation
Supported Independent Living
Individualised Living Options
personal support in a private or community home
home modifications and assistive technology
nursing or complex disability support
rehabilitation or transitional health services.
The NDIS is intended to support eligible participants who entered the scheme before age 65 to live in the community with disability-related housing and assistance suited to their needs.
What if residential aged care is the only immediate option?
Residential aged care may sometimes be considered where:
suitable disability accommodation is not currently available
the person has very complex health and support needs
hospital discharge cannot safely occur without continuous care
other options have been explored and cannot meet the person’s needs
entering or remaining in aged care is the person’s informed choice.
However, it should not automatically become the permanent solution merely because disability housing is difficult to find.
The government’s stated objective is that NDIS participants under 65 should not have to live in residential aged care unless there are exceptional circumstances or it is their will and preference.
Can a younger NDIS participant remain in an aged care home?
Yes. A person under 65 who is already living in residential aged care may choose to remain there.
They can generally continue receiving aged care services from the home while the NDIS funds eligible disability-related supports in their plan. However, the NDIS does not pay ordinary aged care living expenses such as the residential daily fee for meals, cleaning and utilities.
The person should still be supported to explore other housing options if they would prefer to move.
What support is available to move out?
An NDIS participant should speak with their NDIS planner, contact or support coordinator about their housing and support goals.
They may be connected with specialist planners who can help identify:
suitable housing
disability support arrangements
assistive technology
home modifications
transition support
funding needed to move safely.
The person can continue receiving NDIS supports while alternative options are explored.
People who are not NDIS participants, have complex needs or need help navigating several systems may be able to use the Younger People in Residential Aged Care System Coordinator Program, operated by Ability First Australia. System coordinators can help investigate NDIS eligibility and explore disability, health, housing and community options.
What should families ask before accepting a placement?
Ask:
Have all suitable NDIS housing options been explored?
Is this placement temporary or expected to be permanent?
Does the home have experience supporting a younger person with these needs?
Will the person have access to age-appropriate activities and community life?
Can the home support their communication, relationships, work or study goals?
Which services will aged care fund?
Which supports will the NDIS fund?
Who is coordinating the search for alternative accommodation?
How often will the arrangement be reviewed?
What is the plan if the person wants to leave?
A younger person should be involved directly in these decisions wherever possible.
What should I do next?
Ask for urgent coordination between the hospital or health service, NDIS or disability supports, housing services and an independent advocate before accepting residential aged care as the default option.
Takeaways
- Residential aged care is not the preferred pathway for younger people.
- Entry should occur only in exceptional circumstances.
- Disability, health and housing systems should plan alternatives.
About Local Home Help
How Providers Are Listed
How providers appear on Local Home Help Local Home Help helps families discover home support services available in their area. Providers may appear on the site in a few different ways. Some providers create and manage their own listing on the platform. Others may appear based on publicly available information about services operating in a particular region. This helps families see a broader view of support options available locally. Where possible, we encourage providers to claim and manage their listing so information such as services offered, contact details and service areas remain accurate and up to date. There are no paid or enhanced listings on Local Home Help, and there never will be. Claiming or managing a listing has no effect on a provider's visibility, ranking, or how often it appears in a consumer's personalised shortlist, it simply keeps the information families see accurate and current. Local Home Help does not charge consumers to access the platform. We may generate revenue in other ways in the future, but none of these will ever influence which providers a consumer sees, how they're ranked, or what appears in their shortlist. Provider visibility is, and will remain, based solely on relevance to each family's stated needs. What does not influence Liz There are no paid or enhanced listings on Local Home Help, not now, and not in the future. No provider can pay for a higher position in Liz results, a better ranking, or inclusion in a consumer's shortlist. This is a permanent commitment, not a current-state description. Claiming or updating a profile does not improve a provider's ranking. It gives Liz more accurate information about the provider's services, coverage and care model, which can make the explanation of why a provider matched clearer, but it has no effect on whether or how highly that provider appears. Local Home Help intends to generate revenue in other ways in the future - for example through tools built for providers, or products separate from the consumer matching experience. None of these will influence which providers appear in Liz's results, how they're ranked, or what a consumer sees in their personalised shortlist. Visibility and ranking are based solely on the fit factors described above, and nothing else. This reflects the platform's core ethos: Local Home Help is built consumer-first. Every design and revenue decision is made so that what a family sees from Liz is the most relevant outcome for them. Never the most profitable outcome for Local Home Help or a provider.
Independence Statement
Our independence Local Home Help is designed to help families navigate the often confusing world of home support and aged care services. The platform aims to present information in a clear and balanced way so families can better understand the types of help available and where to find it. While providers may appear on the platform, Local Home Help does not recommend one provider over another. The decision about which service may be suitable will always depend on individual circumstances. Families are encouraged to contact providers directly, ask questions and make their own enquiries before making a decision. Our focus is to make the process of understanding and finding support at home easier. Local Home Help does not accept payment of any kind in exchange for provider visibility, ranking, or shortlist placement, and never will. Any future revenue Local Home Help generates will come from sources entirely separate from how providers are matched to consumers.
Quality Signals
What to look for when choosing a provider Finding the right support service can take time. When considering a provider, families may wish to look for signs of quality such as: Clear information about services offered Transparent pricing or funding options Experience supporting older people at home Relevant professional qualifications where appropriate Positive feedback or reputation in the community Willingness to answer questions about care and services It is often helpful to speak with more than one provider before making a decision. Local Home Help aims to provide a starting point for exploring services, but the best choice will depend on the needs and preferences of the individual receiving support.
About the Author
Local Home Help Editorial Team
This article was created by Local Home Help to help Australian families better understand aged care and home support options in plain English.
Our content is based on publicly available information from:
-
My Aged Care
-
Department of Health, Disability and Ageing
-
Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission
-
Provider pricing schedules and operational experience within the aged care sector.
Local Home Help is an independent consumer information platform and does not provide medical, legal or financial advice.
Important information
Aged care rules, fees, eligibility requirements and program arrangements can change. The information on this page is general guidance only and may not apply to every person or situation.
Before making a financial, legal or care decision, check the latest information with My Aged Care, Services Australia, the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, or another appropriate official source.
Local Home Help does not provide legal, financial, medical or clinical advice.
Source data
Last reviewed
20/7/26, 9:08 pm