Aged Care Fees & Costs

Basic Daily Care Fee

The basic daily care fee (BDCF) is one of the aged care fees paid by all our aged care residents and covers your daily living costs such as meals, power, laundry, cleaning and personal care.

This fee is determined by the Government and is set at 85% of the single Age Pension.

Means-tested care fee

Depending on the outcome of your income and means assessment, you may be asked to pay this additional aged care fee. The means tested care fee, also called an income tested care fee, is on top of the cost of the basic daily fee and is determined by Services Australia.

Unlike the basic daily fee, this isn’t a fixed cost and it varies from person to person. The amount you pay depends on your personal financial situation, and if your assets, income or cost of care change, your fee may change too. Additional income and assessment tests might be required to ensure you are paying the right amount. The means-tested care fee is capped annually and over a resident’s lifetime, meaning once you have reached these caps, you no longer need to pay any further means-tested care fees.

Accommodation fees

Depending on your income and assets you may be asked to pay an accommodation fee as part of your aged care fees. This is determined by Services Australia, and this fee helps cover your accommodation costs beyond care costs for personal and clinical care.

This fee is only payable if your income and assets exceed a certain amount. Your fees may be fully or partly covered by the Government depending on your financial circumstances.

Note: This fee will differ across each aged care centre and the room type you choose.

If you need to pay an accommodation fee to help cover your aged care accommodation costs, there are three ways you can do so:

Refundable Accommodation Deposit (RAD) 

A lump sum payment that’s refunded in full once you leave, as the name suggests. The RAD differs by aged care centre and is based on room pricing.

Daily Accommodation Payment (DAP) 

A daily ongoing payment paid periodically (i.e. fortnightly or monthly) that’s based on a daily interest rate called the maximum permissible interest rate (MPIR). The DAP differs by aged care centre and is based on room pricing. This payment isn’t refundable when you leave. 

Combination payment

This is where you may choose to pay for your accommodation by using a combination of RAD and DAP payments, so you would pay a nominated lump sum and the rest of the balance as a daily payment. Only the RAD payment is refundable when you leave. 

Additional services

Additional services may be provided to support and enhance your care experience. Depending on the location, these additional services may include extra recreational activities, entertainment and other options tailored to your lifestyle and interests.

Sometimes these services incur extra service fees. If there are additional service fees, we'll explain them in writing.