After your combined income and assets assessment, DHS will inform you of the accommodation fees you'll be asked to pay.

Your assessment will place you in one of these categories:

• Supported: the government will pay for your accommodation.
• Partially Supported: the government will contribute to some of your accommodation costs and you will be asked to pay the balance.
• Financial or self-funded: you will be required to pay your full accommodation costs.

If you pay for your accommodation, you have three options:

• Refundable Accommodation Deposit (RAD): a lump sum amount that is completely refundable to you when you leave our Care Community. Those who are partially supported by the government have the option to pay a refundable accommodation contribution (RAC). The refundable amount is 100% government guaranteed.
• Daily Accommodation Payment (DAP): a rental style equivalent, which is a daily interest payment on the full room price. The maximum permissible interest rate (MPIR) is set by the government. Those who are partially supported by the government will be asked to pay a daily accommodation contribution (DAC). Since this is a monthly interest-only payment, it is not refundable in any part.
• Combination of both (RAD/DAP) or (RAC/DAC): a combination of the two types of payment above whereby you can pay a partial lump sum amount and the remainder as a daily accommodation interest payment. Only the partial lump sum payment is refundable when you leave the home.

You have 28 days from the day you move into a Care Community to decide which payment method best suits your financial situation. The rental style (DAP) must be paid until you decide on your preferred method of payment.

This fee, set by the Australian Government, covers daily living costs like meals, laundry, and heating, and is the same across all Residential Aged Care. It's calculated at 85% of the basic age pension's single-person rate, is indexed with the age pension (it increases when the aged pension increases) and is adjusted every March and September. Please check the My Aged Care website for current fees or use our calculator below.

If required, this fee will be mentioned in your DHS determination letter after completing your income and assets assessment.

It covers overall residential aged care costs like nursing and personal care, with a capped maximum amount per year and a lifetime limit.

You may find out that you are eligible to pay an MTF after you have already moved into care so to avoid any unexpected fees, we recommend that you seek independent financial advice before you move into care. 

Individual Care Communities set these optional fees for higher-end services and accommodation. The services enhance daily living experiences or may be attached to a specific bed as part of a government agreement.

Aged care costs are determined by the Department of Human Services (DHS) who will assess your financial situation. To do this, DHS conducts a Combined Income and Assets Assessment, which is a form that you need to complete and submit to the government.

The Combined Income and Assets Assessment form (SA457) is an extensive questionnaire with over 140 questions about what you and your partner/spouse own and earn. It’s important to understand that you are considered to own half your assets with your partner/spouse regardless of who holds the title to the assets. As part of your assessment, you will be asked to provide details of all assets owned by both of you.

Government subsidy eligibility and amount depend on an individual’s situation and needs. If you are eligible, this will minimise some of your aged care costs. For more information about government subsidies for residential aged care please visit MyAgedCare

When choosing a residential aged care provider, it is important to understand aged care costs and fees. These include:

• Accommodation Charge (the cost of your room) - These are set by individual Care Communities and vary between them.
• Basic Daily Care Fee (meals, laundry, cleaning, and other day-to-day costs) – These are set by the Australian Government and are the same across every Care Community in Australia.
• Means-Tested Care Fee (to supplement the cost of your overall care) - These are set by the Australian Government based on an assessment of your financial situation.
• Additional Services Fee or Extra Services Fee - (higher-end services and accommodation) These are set by individual Care Communities and vary between them. In some, Additional Services or Extra Services are optional and in others, residents are required to purchase these services as a condition of entry.

To find an estimate of your aged care costs and fees, use the My Aged Care fee estimator that will consider:

• The basic daily fee
• Your means-test
• If you are eligible for financial assistance

You can also use our find a Care Community search tool to see prices from different rooms at each of our Care Communities.

There are three ways to pay:
1.    Refundable accommodation deposit (RAD) which is a lump sum payment.
2.    Daily accommodation payments (DAP) which is recurring rental type payments. 
3.    Combination of RAD and DAP. 

Aged care costs will vary depending on an individual’s needs. Some additional service fees you should consider include, but not limited to:

• Wellness centres and physical therapy 
• Beauty services such as an onsite hairdresser and beautician 
• Recreational/entertainment activities 

Yes. Those who are partially supported by the government have the option to pay a refundable accommodation contribution, the refundable amount is 100% refundable and government guaranteed.