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Costs for different types of care

Costs for the community care services listed here will vary, according to the kind of help and the number of hours you may need.

Aged Care Assessment Teams (ACATs)

A meeting with Aged Care Assessment Team is necessary to be eligible for many government services. You will not be charged for visits by team members.

Read more: About being assessed

Home and Community Care Program (HACC)

Some services may charge a small fee. The fee may vary between states and territories. This is dependent on your income and the number of services that you use – you can ask your local HACC provider, such as a Meals on Wheels service, about the cost of the services you require. Special arrangements can be made if you cannot afford to pay.

Read more: About Home & Community Care Program

Community Aged Care Packages (CACP)

Community Aged Care Package providers can also request fees from you if you’re able to contribute to the cost of your care. The amount charged forms part of an agreement between you and the service provider. If you are on the maximum basic rate of pension, fees must not be more than 17.5% of that pension (excluding the GST compensation supplement). However, if you’re on a higher income you may be asked to pay additional fees (limited to 50% of any income above the maximum pension rate).

However, you won’t be denied a service that you need based on an inability to pay fees.

Read more: About Community Aged Care Packages
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Extended Aged Care at Home (EACH)

You may be asked to pay a fee for an EACH package of care (GST free). The amount charged forms part of an agreement between you and the service provider.

As for CACP, fees must not exceed 17.5% of the maximum basic rate of pension. However, if you’re on a higher income you may be asked to pay additional fees up to 50% of any income above the maximum pension rate – however, you won’t be denied a service that you need based on an inability to pay.

Read more: About Extended Aged Care at Home

Extended Aged Care at Home Dementia (EACH D)

You may be asked to pay a fee for an EACH D package of care (GST free). The amount charged forms part of an agreement between you and the service provider.

As for CACP, fees must not exceed 17.5% of the maximum basic rate of pension. However, if you’re on a higher income you may be asked to pay additional fees up to 50% of any income above the maximum pension rate – however, you won’t be denied a service that you need based on an inability to pay.

Read more: About Extended Aged Care at Home Dementia

Veterans’ Home Care

Veterans’ Home Care (VHC) services are similar to HACC services, and include domestic assistance, personal care, safety-related home and garden maintenance and respite care (more information).

Veterans and war widows/widowers are expected to pay a small co-payment for all services provided through Veterans’ Home Care, except for respite care. The Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA) also provides financial assistance for eligible veterans, war widows or widowers and their dependants, through income support pensions and associated benefits and allowances, including financial assistance for in-home respite.

Read more: About Veterans Home Care
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Commonwealth Respite and Carelink Centres

Commonwealth Respite and Carelink Centres, located across Australia, provide a link to a wide range of community, aged care and support services that are available locally and nationally. Centres provide information about services for older people, people with disability and those who provide care and services. Centres can also help carers with options to take a break through short-term and emergency respite (based on assessed need) and provide advice on and coordinate access to respite services in a carer’s local area.

For information contact 1800 200 422. For emergency respite support outside standard business hours, contact 1800 059 059.

Fees for respite in an aged care home

People who enter and receive respite in aged care homes funded by government can be asked to pay the standard rate of basic daily fee. In this case, a booking fee may also be charged to assist in securing a place. This is a prepayment of respite care fees and not an additional payment. Moreover, it cannot be more than a full week’s fee, or 25% of the fee for the entire stay, whichever amount is the lowest. Respite residents in government-funded aged care homes do not pay an accommodation charge or accommodation bond – nor do they have to pay any additional income-tested charges.

Fees for respite at home or in a day care centre

People who receive respite services in their own home or at a day care centre pay fees according to the type of service they receive. The amounts can vary, from an hourly rate for in-home respite, to a sessional fee for a morning or afternoon in a day care centre.

Read more: About Short-term care
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Financial support for carers during respite care breaks

Financial assistance is available to eligible carers by means of the Carer Payment (more information) or Carer Allowance (more information).

If you’re a carer receiving either of these payments, you can continue to receive the payments for up to 63 days each calendar year if the person you care for is receiving respite or temporarily in hospital. If in hospital, the person you care for must be intending to return home, unless they’re receiving terminal care. In this case, you need to continue your caring role during their stay in hospital if you intend to continue claiming this type of financial assistance. You can visit Centrelink for more information or call them on 13 27 17.

Read more: About financial support

Centrelink

Contact Centrelink for information about the above pensions and benefits, as well as information about Rent Assistance, the Age Pension and concession cards. Centrelink also provides an independent financial planning service that’s free, whether or not you’re receiving a pension or benefit. Call 13 23 00.

Day therapy centres

There are over 140 day therapy centres operating nationally, with most located in or near aged care homes. These centres may provide you with a wide range of therapy services such as physiotherapy (more information), occupational and speech therapy (more information), podiatry (more information) and other therapies. There may be a fee for services provided by Day Therapy Centres. However, you won’t be denied access to services based on an inability to pay fees.

Read more: About Day Therapy Centres

Transition Care Program

If you’ve just been in hospital, the Australian Government provides funding for up to 12 weeks of transition care, with a possibility to extend to 18 weeks if you are assessed as needing an extra period of therapeutic care. This gives you and your family time to determine whether you can return home or require the level of care provided by an aged care home. If you’re in residential aged care, the government also pays your approved provider a subsidy while you’re in transition care to ensure that there is a place reserved for you when you return from transition care.

A transition care provider may charge you a fee as a contribution to the cost of your care. The maximum fee is 84% of the basic daily rate of a single pension for care delivered in a live-in setting or 17.5% of the basic daily rate of single pension for care delivered at home.

Access to transition care is decided on a needs basis, not on your ability to pay fees. In determining your ability to pay fees, your transition care provider takes into account your other unavoidable expenses such as high pharmaceutical bills or fees that you still need to pay to your aged care home.

Read more: About the Transition Care Program
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This page was last updated on: 27 June 2011