What to Do After a Dementia Diagnosis in Australia

Your parent just received a formal dementia diagnosis. The next few weeks are critical — not because you need to rush into care placements, but because several legal and administrative windows close permanently once cognitive capacity deteriorates further. Here is the sequence that matters.

Week 1–2: Secure Legal Authority

This is the most time-sensitive step, and the one families most often delay until it is too late.

While your parent still has cognitive capacity, you need two types of legal documents:

• Enduring Power of Attorney (EPOA) — grants authority over financial decisions (banking, property, superannuation).
• Enduring Guardianship or equivalent — covers medical, lifestyle, and residential care decisions.

The exact documents depend on your state. NSW and WA require two separate documents. Queensland uses a single combined EPOA covering financial, personal, and health decisions. Victoria's Powers of Attorney Act 2014 provides a combined financial and personal EPOA plus a separate Medical Treatment Decision Maker appointment.

If your parent loses capacity before these documents are signed, you cannot simply "take over" their affairs. Banks, hospitals, and aged care providers are legally required to refuse your instructions. You will need to apply to a state tribunal — NCAT in NSW, VCAT in Victoria, QCAT in Queensland — for guardianship and administration orders. This process takes weeks to months and costs thousands in legal fees.

Action: Book an appointment with an elder-law solicitor this week. Expect to pay $700–$900 for a bundled estate planning pack (EPOA + guardianship + will review). The cost of not doing this is orders of magnitude higher.

Week 2–4: Register with My Aged Care

Call 1800 200 422 or register online. When you describe your parent's situation, use specific clinical language: "cognitive decline," "memory loss affecting daily safety," "wandering risk." Vague descriptions lead to lower-priority assessments.

Request to be registered as a "Registered Supporter" or "Representative" so you can manage the account on your parent's behalf. If your parent struggles with phone calls, you can book a face-to-face appointment with an Aged Care Specialist Officer (ACSO) through Services Australia.

The Single Assessment System — which replaced the old ACAT/ACAS process — conducts home-based evaluations using the Integrated Assessment Tool. Assessors have a target of scheduling home visits within two weeks of accepting a referral. The full assessment process averages about five hours of processing time, including 1.2 hours of direct face-to-face evaluation.

Month 1–2: Financial Preparation

Start gathering documents for the Services Australia means assessment:

• Three months of bank statements for all accounts
• Superannuation balance statements
• Property rates notices and estimated market valuations
• Age Pension summary letters
• Any managed fund or share portfolio statements

The means test determines how much your parent contributes to their care costs. Full pensioners pay the lowest rates. In a representative case, a part-pensioner earning $45,500 was assessed at a 14% contribution rate, with the government covering the remaining 86%.

Check your eligibility for the Carer Allowance ($162.60 per fortnight, not means-tested on assets) and the Carer Payment (up to $1,200.90 per fortnight for singles) if your caring duties have reduced your capacity to work.

Month 2–3: Home Safety and Support Services

Once assessed, your parent can access the Assistive Technology and Home Modifications (AT-HM) scheme under Support at Home — up to $15,390 for major home modifications like grab rails, wheelchair ramps, or accessible bathroom refits.

Connect with the National Dementia Helpline (1800 100 500) for counselling, local support groups, and family education programs. Dementia Australia offers webinars, peer networks, and a personal referral pathway to specialist services.

The Australian Dementia Care Toolkit provides the complete timeline, state-by-state EPOA templates, means-test preparation worksheets, and funding classification tables so you can navigate each step with the current 2026 figures.

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