Aged Care Fees & Charges

What will I be asked to pay?

You may be asked to pay towards your care, accommodation and daily living costs. How much you pay depends on your financial situation. There are strong protections in place to make sure care is affordable for everyone.
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The Australian Government sets the maximum fees for care and daily living expenses, and there are also rules about how much you can be asked to pay or contribute to your accommodation.
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You may be asked to pay one or more of the following:

A Basic Daily Care Fee

This covers the cost of your daily care needs (dispensing medication, showering, cleaning etc). For some people, this is the only fee they are required to pay.

A Means-Tested Care Fee

This is an additional contribution towards the cost of care that some people may be required to pay. The Department of Human Services (Centrelink) or Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) will work out if you are required to pay this fee based on an assessment of your income and assets, and will advise you of the amount.

An Accommodation Payment

This is for your accommodation in your new home and or things such as meals, electricity and laundry. Some people will have their accommodation costs met in full or part by the Australian Government, while others will need to pay the accommodation price agreed with the aged care home. Centrelink will advise you which applies to you based on an assessment of your income and assets.

RAD - Refundable Accommodation Deposit. If you choose to pay the full amount of the accommodation payment, you will be paying a RAD, which is refunded in its entirety to you or your family once you have passed away or if you choose to leave the aged care facility.

DAP - Daily Accommodation Payment. If you choose not to pay the accommodation payment in its entirety, you can choose to have this broken down into a DAP, which will not be refunded to you once you have passed away or left the aged care facility.

Fees for Extra Services and Additional Services

Additional fees may apply if you choose a higher standard of accommodation or additional services. These vary from home to home. Your aged care provider can supply you with details of these services and the fees that apply.

Our aim is to make your life as easy and simple as possible.
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We have plenty of simple and easy to follow information available for you. We are always happy to explain about the costs associated with the care we provide. Visit our Contact Us page to get in touch with our friendly team who can assist you with providing more information, or view our Resource Page for downloads.

The Australian Government’s My Aged Care Service is very helpful in outlining what aged care services are available, how to apply for aged care and the fees associated with aged care. Their contact number is 1800 200 422 and their website is www.myagedcare.gov.au.
SummitCare can also arrange contact with several independent financial advisors who specialise in helping you make the best financial decisions around care requirements as you age.

Contact Us on 1300 68 55 48 if you would like us to assist in arranging this for you.

We offer three methods for the payment of fees and charges:

Payment by Direct Debit
This means that the amount on your statement will be automatically withdrawn from your bank account or credit card around the 5th working day of the month. E.g. For an amount due on a statement dated at the end of the month, the direct debit will be processed 1-2 weeks after the end of the statement month.
Payment by Direct Deposit
This means that you can deposit the stated amount to our bank account at any Westpac Branch. For this process we will supply you with our BSB number, account number, name of bank account and a Direct Deposit Identification number (DDIN). It is important that you use the DDIN in the description or reference of your payment (depending on your bank) as this will help us to identify that the deposit is in relation to your account.
Group Schedule
This is available for pensioners or DVA Care Recipients who choose to have the pension paid into the Care Recipient trust account. A trust statement will be issued each month with the trust balance.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Why don't you accept cash?

We do not offer cash or cheque payment options at our centres due to risks associated with this practice. It is important that we protect staff and Care Recipients at the service. We do not have the capability for holding cash at the centre.

How to make an online payment (direct deposit)?

If you wish to pay via the internet you will need the same details as paying by Direct Deposit. We will supply you with our BSB number, account number, name of bank account and a Direct Deposit Identification number (DDIN). It is important that you include the DDIN in the reference of your internet payment as this will help us to identify that the deposit is in relation to your account.

What makes up the fees?

Fees are made up of:
- basic daily fee: this is a flat rate, fixed by the department
- income tested fee: if the resident's income is assessed as above the threshold.
- accommodation charge: determined by the value of the resident's assets (as determined by the assets declaration statement.)

The basic daily fee and level of accommodation charge is prescribed by the Department of Health & Ageing as per the Aged Care Act. It is important that you send the Assets Declaration Statement to Centrelink or DVA as soon as you have been assessed for an aged care placement. Until we receive confirmation regarding your financial status you will be charged the full accommodation charge.

On admission do I need to pay in advance?

Yes, you are required to pay fees a month in advance. On admission you are required to pay an amount equivalent to one month of the basic daily fee, current at the time of offer of placement to accept the offer of placement.

Invoicing

Invoices are issued at the end of each month and include fees and charges for the following month, as set by the Australian Government and Centrelink, dependant on your individual circumstances. Other charges may appear on your monthly account in addition to the daily care fee, accommodation charges and income tested fees. These charges may include Podiatry, Hairdressing, Pharmacy items, Electrical tagging, cost of approved outings, and labelling of personal clothing.

'In the spirit of reconciliation SummitCare acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.'