Westmont Cottages – Memory Support Unit

Residents must complete a direct debit form so that the funds are paid automatically. A detailed statement will be forwarded to you preferably by email or post if preferred.

All residents, whether you are entering on a permanent basis or just having a short stay, must provide us with an up-to-date aged care assessment or ACAS. If you do not have one you can arrange one by contacting My Aged Care on 1800 200 422.

The maximum number of days you can receive in one calendar year is 63 days, this includes if you have short stays over multiple facilities. Westmont prefers your stay to be a minimum of 14 days in duration.

Each resident has their own private room complete with call bell alert system, en suite, TV, fridge and 24-hour care. All you need to bring with you is your clothing. We recommend all clothing is labelled prior to entering as it can easily get lost in our laundry system. If you are receiving permanent care, we can arrange for a newspaper to be delivered with the cost placed on your monthly account. For those receiving respite care, newspaper deliveries must be organised by the resident or their representative.

Hairdressing services are available and paid for by the resident. We also have a coffee shop which is open daily for use by residents, staff and visitors. The Homestead kiosk is run by Volunteers and is open twice a week on a Monday and Thursday, an announcement is made over the loudspeaker when the kiosk is open. Meals can either be held in one of our dining areas or if you prefer you may have it delivered to your room.

Yes, you can, although transport to and from must be arranged by the resident or their representative or alternatively we can arrange for one of our friendly Community Care staff to assist you (fees apply).

Each resident receives 24-hour care, seven days per week. Residents are given an alert to wear at all times that they are able to activate for assistance. If necessary, you will be transferred to hospital and your family or representative will be notified. Not all doctors visit our facility, although we do make contact with them but cannot guarantee they would visit. It is recommended to ask your doctor.

Our wonderful activities staff have a range of activities available for you, bingo, storytelling, gentle exercise, bowls, crosswords, arts and crafts, bus trips and much more.

We encourage residents to continue relationships and friendships throughout their stay with us. If you require private time and space this can be arranged by offering you a ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign for your use. We recommend all visitors ring prior to their planned visit to ensure rules regarding visitation have not changed, for example Covid-19 changed the visiting rules very quickly. Residents can also decline any visits if they do not feel up to them.

We strongly recommend if you haven’t done so already to contact My Aged Care on 1800 200 422 and they can help you with the steps. We can also provide you with a tour of our facility and an application form as a preliminary measure. Note: all residents entering residential aged care seeking either temporary or permanent care must be accessed by a member of the Aged Care Assessment Service (ACAS) arranged through My Aged Care.

Admissions are strictly between 10am and 12pm, this is so we have staff available to complete the administration part of the admission process.

On admission you will be asked a series of questions by one of our qualified registered nurses. The length of this process is individual for each person. If you have previously had a stay with us the admission process is shortened. If you have never resided with us before we recommend that you allow 3 to 4 hours. This is for the paperwork alone, this time does not include settling your loved one in, putting clothes away etc. We recommend that you complete a pre-admission checklist prior to entry to allow for a shorter admission process.

What paperwork do I need to complete prior to admission?

This can be broken down into two parts, the ‘must have’s’ and the ‘things to consider’
“The must haves”

• Pre-admission checklist – (included in admission pack**)
• Application Form – (included in admission pack**)
• Direct Debit Form – (included in admission pack**)
• Medication chart – to be completed by Doctor, this acts as a prescription that doctors can add to if required – (included in admission pack**)
• Health Summary – obtained by your Doctor
• Aged Care Assessment (ACAS) and or Referral Code
• Webster Pack (medication dispenser) – obtained from your local pharmacist
• Wallet ID (original only – pension, Medicare, seniors’ card etc)
• Respite Agreement – will be issued on admission
• Evidence of flu vaccination – this includes family members (this is especially important between the months of April to October)

** Admission packs can be obtained from our Homestead reception administration staff and is only issued once admission has been confirmed.

• Ensure all clothing is clearly labelled to prevent clothing from being misplaced
• No woolen items as our laundry processes are not equipped.
• Due to safety concerns, electrical equipment coming into residential aged care must be tested and tagged prior to use. Admin staff are able to provide you with a kettle until such time that you have your own tested and tagged.
• Newspapers: for permanent residents this can be arranged for you and the cost debited to your Westmont account. For respite residents this must be arranged by yourselves.
• Telephone: can be organised for you (fees apply – approx. $1.40 per day)
• Hairdressing Services: can be organised. Permanent residents can have the cost added to their account, for respite or transitional care residents, payment must be made directly to the hairdresser.
• Disposable Razors: When on respite we suggest you bring with you, disposable razors. All electrical equipment needs to be tested and tagged and your appliance may not get tested before your departure date.

We prefer that you kept cash on hand to a minimum. For permanent residents our admin staff can provide you with some cash which you sign for, then it is added to your account. For residents receiving respite or transitional care they must organise their own cash money. We have a kiosk which is open twice a week and we also have a coffee shop open daily. Each room has a cupboard which can be locked for items that you would like to be kept safe.

Whilst residing in residential aged care pets are not allowed however, family members are welcome to bring in a pet to visit as long as it is restrained or contained and does not impede on other residents.