Basic fees and costs
Before you ‘sign up’ for an aged care home (nursing home), you need to have a good idea of what fees and costs you will be expected to pay – and what you can afford.
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View transcript of video hereAged care homes can charge you four types of fees and costs - three main fees as well as some additional fees - as described in 4.2 The Main Costs Explained.
In summary, these are:
- A basic daily fee
- A means-tested care fee
- An accommodation cost
Plus:
- Additional fees if you choose to have non-essential extras that are not included in the basic fees and costs
What you need to know:
Check once completed
- The Australian Government subsidises a lot of the costs but you will have to pay some of them, depending on an assessment of your income and assets.
- This assessment is done by the Department of Human Services or the Department of Veterans’ Affairs.
- You can choose not to have a means test but it is strongly recommended even if you are not counting on government support.
- Fees set by the government are increased twice a year – 20 March and 20 September each year – in line with increases to the Age Pension.
- You can see the schedule of fees and charges on the Department’s website and download a copy of the current schedule of fees and charges at schedule of fees and charges here.
- You will never be denied the care you need because you can’t afford it. If you can’t afford to pay for aged care services, the Commonwealth government will cover the costs of your government subsidised aged care home.
6 weeks
Time estimate to complete all of the tasks within this step, including all sub-steps.
