There are standard fees which are associated with care in any Commonwealth Government supported residential care facility. The government pays for the bulk of the costs however, as with all aged care services, residents may be asked to contribute to the cost of the aged care services in an aged care home.          

The costs include:

• Basic daily fees
• Means-tested care fees
• Accommodation payments
• Extra or additional optional service fees

It can be confusing when navigating through financial information so we suggest that you or your carer consult a financial advisor. If you need more information on financial related information, please contact Centrelink Financial Information Services Officer on 132 300 (say 'financial information' when prompted by the phone operator).

Basic Daily Fees

Every resident staying in residential aged care facility is required to pay Basic Daily Fees for expenses associated with living in a residential care facility (i.e. meals, cleaning, laundry, heating and cooling). The fees are equivalent of approximately 85% of the basic pension, indexed to the pension for Australian citizens and permanent residents. Additional information on the Age Pension and a full list of current rates can be found on the Department of Human Services website. If you are a veteran, you may be eligible for assistance from the Department of Veterans’ Affairs. If you would like to get more information on this, please contact the Department of Veterans’ Affairs on 133 254 or 1800 555 254 (regional callers).

When you enter an aged care home you will receive a letter from the Department of Human Services confirming your maximum basic daily fee. Your basic daily fee will be indexed on 20 March and 20 September each year in line with increases to the Age Pension. Department of Human Services notify you when there is an increase of the fee. Click here for current rates of the basic daily fee by the Department of Human Services.

Means-Tested Care Fee (previously known as income-tested fee)

The Australian government subsidies a range of aged care services, in Australia. If your personal circumstances allow, it is expected you'll contribute to the cost of your care if you can afford to do so. Depending on your income and assets, applicants may be asked 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. It contributes to your day-to-day care costs such as nursing and personal care.

Fee Estimator

The Department of Human Services (Centrelink) will decide if you are required to pay this fee and total charges based on their assessments of your income and assets. Applicants are advised to use the Residential Care Fee Estimator on My Aged Care website (click here) and find out the approximate charges for entering an aged care home including On Luck Chinese Nursing Home.

*For applicants holding an Assets Assessment completed prior 30th June 2014, but have not entered into any aged care facility by 1st July 2014, you are advised to contact My Aged Care Hotline 1800 200 422 to find out whether you are required to go through a Means-tested care fee assessment before entering into aged care facility after 1st July 2014.

Accommodation Payment

Starting from 1st July 2014, residents being admitted into On Luck Chinese Nursing Home will be asked to pay for the accommodation costs based on the combined income and assets assessment, and will be one of the following:

• No accommodation costs - if your income and assets are below a certain amount, the Australian Government will pay your accommodation costs.
• An accommodation contribution- if you are required to pay part of the cost of your accommodation costs as set by the Department of Human Services or Department of Veterans' Affairs, the Australian Government will pay the rest.
• An accommodation payment - if you are required to pay for the full cost of your accommodation, you pay the price agreed with On Luck Chinese Nursing Home, the Australian Government will not pay for your accommodation costs.

The decision whether a resident need to pay accommodation costs and the amount need to incur are calculated by the value of the assets and incomes. You need to complete the Request for a Combined Assets and Income Assessment Form(supplied by ACAT at the time of assessment) and submit it to either Centrelink or the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) prior being admitted to the On Luck Chinese Nursing Home so that we can advise you on the amount of payment.

If you choose not to complete or lodge the application form, you will not be eligible for any Australian Government assistance towards your aged care home costs. This means On Luck Chinese Nursing Home may ask you to pay the maximum accommodation payment you have agreed with as non-supported applicant.

Residents who are required to pay accommodation costs can choose to make their payments in one of the following 3 options:

Option 1- Refundable Accommodation Deposit (RAD) - you can pay the room price in full as a lump sum amount. The Deposit is held by the home for the duration of your residency at On Luck Chinese Nursing Home, and is fully refundable to you when you leave the facility, unless you choose to have any of your fees and charges deducted from the RAD.

Option 2 - Daily Accommodation Payment (DAP) - you can choose not to pay the room price in a lump sum, but a rental-type daily interest equivalent amount added to your monthly fees.

Option 3 - Combination of RAD and DAP - you can choose to pay any portion of the RAD lump sum amount, and pay the remaining balance as DAP equivalent.

You can also choose to pay the DAP to have it deduced from a RAD lump sum if you are making a combination payment. Please note if DAP is deduced from the lump sum, this will reduce the RAD refund paid to you when you leave On Luck. The drawdown of DAP from RAD is levied an additional Maximum Permissible Interest Rate (MPIR) as per Department of Social Services.

You have 28 days to decide your payment method upon admission. Before the decision is being made, you are required to pay your accommodation costs by the rental-type payment method which DAP with Maximum Permissible Interest Rate (MPIR) as per Department of Social Services as at 1 July 2014, until you decide on your ongoing payment method. As accommodation payment is due on the date of admission, if you decide to pay RAD after admission, you will be charged interest (MPIR) on any unpaid amount.

Maximum Accommodation Costs for Non-Supported Applications of On Luck Chinese Nursing Home

Chinese Community Social Services Centre Inc. is committed in providing quality aged care services to our seniors in the Chinese Community regardless of their financial circumstances. This includes the accommodation places are accessible to those with low asset or income.

Applicants who do not get a means tested income support payment from centrelink and own their own home, are required to submit Residential Aged Care Calculation of your cost of care form (SA457) to provide income and asset detail to Department of Human Services. (see Forms & Documents section).

Applicants who already receive either a means tested income support payment, or a Home Care Package and own or part own their home are required to submit either Aged Care Calculation of your cost of care digital form (SA486) or Residential Aged Care Property details for Centrelink and DVA customer paper form (SA485) to the Department of Human Services. (see Forms & Documents section).

Applicants who already receive either a means tested income support payment, or a Home Care Package and do not own a home, please contact Centrelink on 1800 227 475 or DVA on 1800 555 254 to get a Pre Commencement Fee Letter to ensure low asset or income residents would received government subsidies to cover the accommodation costs in the form of fully supported or partially supported residents.

Room Types, Features and Payment Options

Click here for the On Luck Chinese Nursing Home Room List to obtain full details of the room types, features and payment options.

Changes of Financial Situation

If your income or assets change during the assessment period, you should advise the Centrelink or the Department of Veterans' Affairs. If there are any significant changes to your personal or financial circumstances during your time in care, you will also need to notify the Department of Human Services or the Department of Veterans' Affairs.

Please note your means-tested care fee may change. If your income and assets change, your assessment will be updated. The Department of Human Services or the Department of Veterans' Affairs will let you and On Luck know if your means-tested care fees have changed.

There are annual and lifetime caps that apply to the means-tested care fee for aged care. Once these caps are reached, the Department of Human Services or the Department of Veterans' Affairs will notify you and On Luck, and you will not be asked to pay any more of a means-tested care fee for the remaining times of the year if the Annual Cap is reached, or no more means-tested care fee if the Lifetime cap is reached. The Australian Government will pay your means-tested care fee for you after you have reached these caps.

Please note when you have reached the lifetime cap, you cannot be asked to pay any more means-tested care fees. However, you are still required to pay the basic daily fee and your agreed accommodation costs. Please visit My Aged Care website for more details about annual and lifetime caps.