Residential Care Fees and Charges

There are several different components to your Residential Care fees and charges. These will be itemised in your agreement.

We strongly recommend obtaining specialist financial advice as early as possible to assist you in making the best decision for your individual circumstances.

1. Basic Daily Care Fee
   The Basic Daily Care Fee is set by the government and is currently 85% of the full aged pension. This fee covers things like meals, laundry, cleaning and electricity.
2. Accommodation Payment
   Every Residential Care home will have an advertised price for its accommodation. This Accommodation Payment can be made in a number of ways, including:
   1. an upfront lump sum, which is refundable upon your departure, called a Refundable Accommodation Deposit (RAD), or
   2. monthly rental-style payments, called a Daily Accommodation Payment (DAP). The monthly rental payment is calculated on the price of the room, using the Maximum Permissible Interest Rate set by the Government and paid monthly in advance, or
   3. a combination of both, where you choose to pay a partial RAD amount and the balance as a DAP
3. Means Tested Care Fee
   The means-tested care fee is a contribution that some people may need to pay to cover the costs of your day-to-day care. This fee is determined by your assessable income and assets and is calculated by Services Australia following lodgement of the Residential Care Calculation of your cost of care form (SA457). This fee is capped at an annual and lifetime amount and is payable monthly in advance. If you are on a full pension, it is likely the government will cover this cost for you.
4. Extra Services or Additional Services Fee

You can choose to add extra options to your accommodation, such as additional food choices, lifestyle and leisure activities. This is applicable in some of our homes at RSL LifeCare. A list of the services included is included in your Agreement and can be sent on request.

We strongly recommend obtaining specialist financial advice as early as possible to assist you in making the best decision for your individual circumstances.

Fee estimator

To estimate the fees associated with a specific facility, a calculator is available on the relevant Residential Care home page. Click here to find your preferred location. To help you fill in the fee estimator use this income and assets checklist.

Veterans

We accept DVA (Department of Veterans’ Affairs) approvals for a respite period for residents who come from home. Of course all veterans or their families are welcome to live in any of our homes permanently once they have been assessed by the Aged Care Assessment Team.

Non-veterans

We welcome all members of the public to enter into our Care Homes. Our homes honour people who have served their countries and we seek to provide a high quality of comfort that all Australians can share.

Legal documents – power of attorney/enduring guardian

We strongly suggest you have Enduring Power of Attorney and Enduring Guardian and a Will in place before you enter into Residential Care. The Enduring Power of Attorney and Enduring Guardian is essential in determining who can assist with finances and care should your circumstances change.

You may also wish to have an Advanced Care Plan in place that tells us what is important to you about your health at this time.

Find out more about government funding

There are a variety of government programs through which you may be able to receive funding for your care. We understand this process can be very daunting. To help you understand what this process may mean for you, here is the simple 6 steps you will need to take.