Alternatives to Aged Care Decisions.
Aged Care Decisions is a well-established Australian aged care referral service. If you are weighing it up, here is a fair, side-by-side look at how referral services work and how CareShortlist is built differently. We will be straight with you, including about how we are paid.
| Referral service (e.g. Aged Care Decisions) | CareShortlist | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to your family | Free | Free |
| Who pays | Providers, when a family they refer moves in | Providers, when a family we introduce commences care |
| Which providers you see | Typically a matched set from the service's own network of participating providers | Every government-listed provider for your area, whether or not they work with us |
| How options are ranked | Matched for you by a consultant | Shown with the official Government Star Ratings. No provider can pay to rank higher |
| How you engage | A consultant usually calls you to discuss options | Self-serve online, with June available by email if you want an introduction. No cold calls |
| Underlying data | The service's provider information | The Australian Government service list and Star Ratings, with the date each figure was verified |
This comparison describes how aged care referral services generally operate, using Aged Care Decisions as a well-known example, and reflects each service's publicly stated model. Aged Care Decisions is not affiliated with CareShortlist. Always confirm current details with each service directly.
See every option for your area, free
No network, no cold call, no pay-to-rank. Just the full government-listed picture with official ratings.
Common questions
Is Aged Care Decisions free?
Yes. Like most aged care referral services, and like CareShortlist, Aged Care Decisions is free to families and is paid by the providers it works with. The honest question is not whether a service is free, but which providers it shows you and how, since the ones you never see are as important as the ones you do.
How is CareShortlist different from a referral service?
We are open about being paid by providers when we introduce a family who goes on to commence care. The difference is structural: our website shows every government-listed provider for your area with the official Star Ratings, whether or not they pay us, and paying never buys a better ranking or hides a poor score. A traditional referral service typically presents a matched set of providers from its own paid network.
Do I have to talk to someone on the phone?
Not with CareShortlist. You can see the full picture yourself online and ask June for a shortlist by email. If you would like an introduction to a provider, June arranges it. We do not run outbound call centres and we never use pressure tactics.
Which service gives the most complete picture?
If seeing every option matters to you, a directory built on the full government service list will show more than a referral service that works from a network of participating providers. That is the gap CareShortlist is built to close.