"To care for those who once cared for us is one of the highest honours"

Whilst you may have bought and sold properties many times over the years, it still remains one of our major lifestage events and unfortunately, the process doesn’t get any easier as we get older. 

For those who have children who live in the same city, their lives are typically busy with jobs and their own families to take on such an important and sizeable enterprise as finding and moving you in to your new place. And not just any place but one that is with trusted operators, caring staff and one that will enable you /loved one to life a happy and fulfilling life. For those without support nearby, the toll this whole process can take is both emotionally and physically exhausting. 

Finally the industry is rife with new developments – so deciding where to start can be overwhelming, there are implications to pensions, and a myriad of other financial conditions as well. 

Here’s a few reasons why you should engage with The Fitz Factor. 

1. If you’re seeking independent recommendations of retirement or residential aged care communities that are based upon an indepth knowledge of the local market, and you want to ensure the commuity is the best fit based upon lifestyle, budget and location preferences then you should contact The Fitz Factor.
2. If the thought of having to find the right retirement village or residential aged care home amongst dozens of options is daunting, then you need to contact The Fitz Factor. 
3. If the idea of finding a community that provides good opportunities for building new friendships and putting some zest in your step appeals, then you should contact The Fitz Factor. 
4. If the long and never-ending list of “to do” tasks to complete in order to get your family home ready to sell is overwhelming, then you need to contact The Fitz Factor.
5. Once you’re sold, if you’re worrying about how to organise and co-ordinate the decluttering, disposal of items, packing up, wondering where it is all going to fit or, what to take with you and what new items you need to buy and from where, organising tradespeople for any work needed on the new home, and unpacking of all the contents, then you need to contact The Fitz Factor. 
6. If you’d like to see a floorplan of your new place with your furniture set out in advance and assistance with interior decorating, you need to contact The Fitz Factor.  
7. If you’d like to settle-in to your new home and start living your best life without delay, you need to contact The Fitz Factor. 

What is ACAT?
ACAT stands for Aged Care Assessment Team. An ACAT assessment is a free assessment provided by the Australian government to determine the level of care required by an elderly person.

The assessment is undertaken by a member of ACAT who’ll meet with your loved one (and yourself or, a core support person from your family) to understand their overall health care needs, medical history, and mobility requirements. They will review what assistance is currently being provided and how they are managing with everyday tasks.

An Application for Care form will be prepared and they will also develop a support plan, and make recommendations about the services and care options that will provide the best support. 

How does this assist my loved one?
The outcome of the ACAT assessment will determine what kind of care  your loved one has been approved to receive and whether they are eligible for government assistance with home support service fees and/or aged care accommodation.

Your loved one should undergo an ACAT assessment as soon as the need for additional care or services is considered. If you’ve come across this article as part of your research into aged care services, it is likely time to arrange an ACAT assessment now.

Making the decision that your loved one needs to transition in to permanent residential aged care is indeed difficult. However, if you feel your loved one’s health, safety and wellbeing is at risk despite either part-time care and/or informal care arrangements by other family members, then you have most likely reached the right time to relocate them into permanent residential care. In all cases we recommend discussing the situation with their medical practitioner but some factors to look out for include:

1. Physical and/or cognitive impairments

   • They are struggling to complete day-to-day activities by themselves.
   • They have difficulty moving around.
   • They have an increased frequency of falls.
   • They have memory issues or dementia.
2. Behavioural changes

• • They are often wandering off and getting lost.
  • They are more frequently upset, angry or aggressive.
  • They’ve become isolated, withdrawn or less sociable than usual and they avoid social activities that they used to enjoy.

      3. General deterioration in health

• • They have chronic health problems and require around-the-clock specialised care.
  • They’re taking longer to recover when they are unwell or injured and need closer attention.

We are specialists in project management which means you can have peace of mind that everything required to be done, will indeed be done with due care and professionalism as well as regular updates and communication with all stakeholders. 

Once we have agreed the scope of work with you and/or your loved ones, The Fitz Factor will prepare a detailed project plan for each phase. The plan identifies the agreed milestones and dates, and all tasks to be completed in order to achieve the milestones. 

We have relationships with accredited and highly rated retirement village and aged care operators, trusted and successful real estate agents, reliable tradespeople, declutters and packers, removalists, furniture retailers and many more. Our breadth of relationships together with meticulous project management capability will ensure that the transition to your next chapter is handled professionally and in a timely manner, leaving you the freedom to focus on your future. 

Absolutely. The Fitz Factor is delighted to work alongside any of the family who wish to handle some of the tasks themselves. As with any major project partnership, commnication and planning are key so we recommend regular updates with each other.