If you’re starting to look into seniors living, aged care or retirement options, you will soon be confronted with a barrage of acronyms you would have never heard before.

Do you know a RAC from a RAD or a DAC from a DAP? With many of the key aged care acronyms around the funding and financing of retirement options, you could soon find yourself entering a confusing minefield. Failure to understand the difference between similarly sounding acronyms could have financial consequences.

Don’t worry, here we have summarised some of the most common acronyms you’ll come across in this industry.

MAC – My Aged Care

My Aged Care, often referred to as MAC, is the Australian Government’s starting point for anyone looking to access government-funded care services. Visit My Aged Care online or call 1800 200 422.

ACAT – Aged Care assessment team

Anyone looking to access Government-funded care, whether that’s home care, respite or residential aged care will need to undergo an ACAT assessment. This assessment will determine your care level.

ACFI – Aged care funding instrument

The aged care funding instrument (ACFI) is used to measure the level of care each resident needs, based on activities of daily living, residents behaviour and complex health care. Outcomes are then used to allocate Australian Government subsidy to residential aged care providers to care for the residents.

HCP – Home Care Package

A Home Care Package provides Government funded services that will help you to remain at home for as long as possible. Home care packages are available in four levels. From Level 1 for low care up to Level 4 for high care.

CDC – Consumer Directed Care

Consumer directed care is a model of service delivery that puts consumers at the centre of their own care. The Home Care Package program moved to a CDC model in early 2017, which gave people more control over their care and the right to choose the types of care and services they receive as well as who delivers those services.

CHSP – Commonwealth Home Support Program

The CHSP gives entry-level home support to older people still living independently at home. It covers basic services such as domestic support and transport.

RAD – Refundable Accommodation Deposit

The upfront accommodation payment paid by a non-supported resident when entering aged care. As the name suggests, this payment is refunded when the resident leaves the facility.

RAC – Refundable Accommodation Contribution

If the resident is fully or partially supported, a RAC is payable when entering aged care. The contribution amount is based on the asset assessment.

DAP – Daily Accommodation Payment

This payment applies to non-supported residents who choose not to pay the RAD as a lump sum. The DAP is worked out by converting the RAD to a daily amount. This is payable as a periodic amount by aged care residents.

DAC – Daily Accommodation Contribution

Payable by fully or partly-supported aged care residents, a DAC applies for those who don’t pay the RAC as a lump sum and is instead broken up into periodic payments with an interest rate set by the Department of Social Services at the date of entry.

As there are so many different choices available for seniors, it is always worthwhile getting financial advice before moving into a retirement village, seniors’ living community or aged care.

TCP – Transition Care Program

Transition care provides short-term care for older people to help them recover after a hospital stay. Transition care can last up to 12 weeks and take place in an aged care facility, a person’s home or the community.

OT – Occupational Therapist

The role of an occupational therapist is to work with a client to help them achieve a fulfilled and satisfied state in life by promoting health, preventing injury or disability to restore the highest possible level of independence.

NRCP – National Respite for Carers Program

The aim of the National Respite for Carers Program is to contribute to the support and maintenance of caring relationships between carers and care recipients by facilitating access to information, Respite Care and other support appropriate to the carer’s individual needs and circumstances, and those of the care recipient.

HACC – Home and Community Care

HACC can provide basic support services so that older people and people with a disability can continue to live in their community. These services provide eligible people with help at home, support in getting out into the community, and a break for carers.