Residential Care Fees
Fees payable by a resident in an Aged Care Facility are regulated by the Commonwealth Government of Australia.
Below is a guideline of the fees payable as of the 20th of March 2024.
Daily Care Fees - payable by all residents entering care.
The Daily Care Fee is a legislated fee and payable by all residents. This fee re-adjusts in line with CPI and the Australian Age Pension biannually and covers costs such as meals, laundry, and electricity.
The current Daily Care Fee is $61.96 per day.
Refundable Accommodation Deposit (RAD)
Residents with assets greater than $197,735.20 will be asked upon assessment to contribute to their cost of accommodation, via the payment of a Refundable Accommodation Deposit (RAD), which is a lump sum contribution to the cost of accommodation. The current RAD is $280,000. The legislation states that on payment of a RAD the resident must be left with a minimum of $58,500 in assets.
The Refundable Accommodation Deposit is refundable to the resident on departure subject to any deductions such as the Daily Accommodation Payment, Means Tested Care Fee or any other costs which may be payable at this time as agreed. Residents transferring to another Aged Care Facility will have their RAD refunded within 14 days from when notice is given. When Probate is provided the RAD will be refunded within 14 days.
The Refundable Accommodation Deposit is guaranteed under the Aged Care Act, 1997 (Commonwealth).
Daily Accommodation Payment (DAP)
Residents may decide to pay for their accommodation via a Daily Accommodation Payment (DAP).
The Daily Accommodation Payment is calculated using the governments Maximum Permissible Interest Rate (MPIR) (currently 8.38% in March 2024).
The MPIR is levied on any unpaid portion for the Refundable Accommodation Payment (RAD) and will be payable for the duration of the stay unless a Refundable Accommodation Deposit (RAD) is provided. The MPIR is based on date of entry into permanent care.
Combination RAD and DAP
You may choose to pay via a combination of a Refundable Accommodation Payment (RAD) and Daily Accommodation Payment (DAP).
Supported Residents
Our rooms are available for residents with reduced financial means.
Supported residents with assets under $58,500 and income less than $28,472.60 as approved by the Australian Government pay the Daily Care Fee of $60.86.
Partially supported residents may be asked to contribute to their cost of care via a Daily Accommodation Contribution (DAC) or Refundable Accommodation Contribution (RAC) or a combination of both if their assets are between $58,500 and $197,735.20 in addition to the Daily Care Fee of $60.86.
Residents are obliged to submit a Centrelink Asset Assessment and Centrelink will outline their payment obligation within approx. 21 days.
What is the ‘Means Tested Care’ Fee?
The Means Tested Care Fee ensures that residents who have additional income and assets contribute to their medical costs.
The Commonwealth Government via Centrelink assesses all residents entering a Commonwealth funded residential aged care facility.
Residents will receive information regarding their Means Tested Care Fee obligations 21 days after the completion and lodgement of either of the following forms:
‘Property details for Centrelink and DVA customers’ (SA485) or
‘Calculation of your cost of care’ (SA457)
If an assessment is not completed, then a higher Means Tested Care Fee may be levied until such time as the information is provided to the government.
The Maximum Means Tested Care Fee that a resident can be asked to pay per year is $32,718.57 with a lifetime limit of $78,524.69.