My Aged Care ('MAC') is a free government website that serves as a one-stop shop for information on government-funded aged care services in Australia. It helps you:
- Find types of aged care services available
- Check eligibility and apply for assessment
- Find service providers
- Estimate costs for providers
- Ensure providers comply with quality requirements
- Create an online account to manage your aged care information
MAC handles complaints about:
- My Aged Care
- Assessments
- Service providers
What types of complaints can you make?
You can make complaints about MAC and certain assessments, including:
- My Aged Care: MAC should provide satisfactory information and service.
- Home support assessment: You have the right to express your concerns about your home support assessment experience, including the outcome of your assessment decision. MAC should properly determine outcomes and/or treatments from the Regional Assessment Service ('RAS') regarding a home support assessment.
Jurisdiction:
MAC can act on complaints about the conduct of MAC or a RAS provider in Australia.
Time Limitations:
There are no time limitations for when complaints can be heard, but it is best to report issues as soon as possible after the incident has occurred.
MAC will not deal with complaints about:
MAC can only hear complaints about Australian Government-funded aged care service providers. It handles complaints about MAC and RAS home support assessments, only after an initial complaint has been made to RAS and you are unhappy with their response. MAC does not receive complaints about assessment decisions, service provider conduct (outside of RAS assessors), or elder abuse.
Exercise of Discretion:
MAC has discretion regarding how complaints made to them are handled and escalation procedures.
Who can you make a complaint against?
You can make a complaint against:
- Individuals: Complaints can be made against individual MAC representatives and government-funded RAS home support assessors.
- Body/Organisation: MAC hears complaints about government-funded aged care service providers that provide RAS and MAC itself.
MAC will not deal with complaints about:
MAC only provides information about government-funded organisations that provide RAS and as a result may not offer support with complaints regarding non-government-funded organisations.
Are you eligible to make a complaint?
Who can make a complaint?
Anyone with a MAC Online Account can make a complaint. If you do not have a MAC Online Account but have had a negative experience when using the MAC website or speaking to a MAC representative, you can also make a complaint.
Before you lodge a complaint:
When making complaints about an RAS provider, a complaint must first be made directly to the RAS provider before MAC can also hear and/or escalate the complaint.
Can complaints be made on behalf of someone?
Complaints can be made on behalf of another person who is unable to make the complaint on their own behalf, provided you have that person’s authority.
What can this body do to help?
This body may provide:
- Direct Resolution Support: Guidance on how to directly resolve issues with the service provider. My Aged Care can offer advice on steps to take for immediate resolution of simpler issues.
- Staff Retraining or Service Improvement Suggestions: In cases where My Aged Care identifies a trend or pattern of service issues, they may suggest or recommend staff retraining or service improvements directly to providers, or to their own procedures.
- Adjustment of Care Plans: For complaints related to the suitability or adequacy of the care plan, My Aged Care may facilitate a review or adjustment of care plans to better meet the individual's needs.
- Referral to applicable body: For complaints that fall outside the direct resolution capacity of My Aged Care, such as those requiring investigation, mediation, or regulatory action, My Aged Care may refer the matter to the appropriate body, including:
- Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission for quality and safety concerns.
- Other regulatory or oversight bodies for issues outside the scope of My Aged Care or the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission, including legal or criminal concerns.
- Information and Advice: Providing detailed information and advice about rights, options, and steps to take when a complaint is made, helping complainants make informed decisions.
Discretion:
MAC hears a limited number of complaints directly. MAC has a broad discretion and may make findings and recommendations.
How to prepare your complaint
Complaints can be made to MAC via telephone or by post. Once the complaint is made, you will receive a complaint reference number for future communications. If you are not satisfied with the outcome of your original complaint to MAC, you may escalate the issue by emailing MAC on with your complaint reference number.
There is no prescribed format in which complaints should be written.
Information to Provide:
- Personal Details: Generally, personal details are required where appropriate so MAC can handle the complaint appropriately.
- Relevant Facts: As there is no complaint form or format required by MAC, the complaint should contain all details relevant to the circumstances so that MAC can best understand and resolve your complaint.
What NOT to include:
Complaints should not include false or misleading statements.
Additional information you need to know:
The Older Persons Advocacy Network (OPAN) can help resolve concerns and complaints on your behalf. This support is free, independent and confidential.
The website provides information in 22 other languages. MAC can also be reach through the Translating and Interpreting Service and provides Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander interpreting services. For hearing or speech impairment support, you can call the National Relay Service on 1800 555 660 or choose your preferred access point on their website.
Lodging your complaint and next steps:
Where to lodge your complaint:
- Email: myagedcaresupport@health.gov.au
- Post: My Aged Care Complaints, PO Box 1237, Runaway Bay, QLD 4216
- Telephone: 1800 200 422 – Monday to Friday, 8.00am to 8.00pm and Saturday from 10.00am to 2.00pm.
- In person: Attend any Services Australia service centre to speak with someone about general information about My Aged Care services. You can also speak to an Aged Care Specialist Officer (ACSO) at Services Australia service centres. To book an appointment with an ACSO call the Services Australia Aged Care line on 1800 227 475. Service centres are open Monday to Friday from 8am to 5pm.
- Complaints about RAS assessors that are escalated to MAC can be made by calling MAC on 1800 200 422.
Next steps:
- Receipt/ acknowledgement of complaint: For complaints sent online or via post, you will receive an acknowledgement from My Aged Care within 10 business days, along with your complaint reference number.
More information:
Refer to the factsheet provided below for more information.
