How much you pay for aged care services depends on 3 main factors, the type of support you require, the provider you choose and your financial situation. Do your homework before you choose a provider to ensure you get the aged care you need.
Home care costs
Home care costs are complex. It can be confusing trying to work out what fees you need to pay and what services you can afford with the funding available to you.
Your provider must actively support you to understand any fees and charges by giving you all the necessary information. They also have an obligation to provide you with a monthly statement of your fees and charges, but sometimes these statements are unclear and difficult to navigate.
There are a number of valuable tools and resources to help you understand how it all works.
Informing yourself about government contributions, service provider costs and out-of-pocket fees will enable you to get the best out of your home care.
If you are struggling to understand fees or costs, our advocates and specialist financial advocates can help. Call us on 1800 424 079 for free, independent and confidential advice.
There are a number of tools to help you calculate the cost of your aged care, including fee estimator tools on the My Aged Care website.
Residential care costs
Before you decide to go into an aged care home, you should complete a means assessment at Services Australia. This establishes your eligibility for government assistance with care fees and administration costs.
Everybody is required to pay a basic daily fee – which is set at 85 per cent of the basic age pension. Depending on your income and assets, the provider may also ask you to pay a means-tested care fee.
If you have concerns about your residential care costs, our advocates and specialist financial advocates can help. Call us on 1800 424 079 for free, independent and confidential advice.
To get an estimate of how much you will need to pay, use My Aged Care’s fee estimator tool . If you can’t afford your aged care home costs, you might be entitled to financial hardship assistance.
Short-term care costs
There are three main types of short-term care:
- the Restorative Care Pathway (available to older people already receiving the Support at Home Program who have had a setback or decline in function at home)
- transition care (short-term care following a hospital stay)
- respite care (which provides short-term support for carers).
For all Support at Home services, including the Restorative Care Pathway, contributions apply. The amount you contribute will depend on an assessment of your income and assets, as well as the types of services you receive.
The Transition Care Program and respite care are not means tested but you may be asked to contribute to the cost. How much you pay will depend on the type of care you receive.
Financial hardship
If you can’t afford your aged care costs, you can apply for financial hardship assistance through Services Australia, who will determine your eligibility. Financial hardship assistance applies for a finite period, and Services Australia will write to you and your service provider to tell you how long it will last. If you need ongoing help, be sure to lodge a new claim before your current assistance ends.
