Working out fees, the means test and how to pay for care is confusing. We sit down with families in the Hills District and across Sydney and make a clear plan, so the decisions are made once and made well.
A 60-minute catch-up to map care needs, assets, income and what matters to your family.
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Compare RAD, DAP or a combination, home keep-vs-sell, Age Pension and means-tested fee outcomes.
Prepare relevant Centrelink/DVA paperwork, liaise with the facility where appropriate, and review your plan after entry.
Clear advice. Practical steps. Ongoing support.
Rebecca has over 5 years experience helping families navigate Aged Care, Age Pension and Centrelink. She’ll be your point of contact from start to finish.
| Fee Type | Who pays | How it's set |
|---|---|---|
| Basic daily fee | Everyone in care | Set by government; residents generally pay the applicable basic daily amount. |
| Means-tested care fee | Based on financial circumstances | Calculated using relevant income and assets information. |
| Accomodation | Resident / estate | May be paid as a RAD, DAP or combination, subject to applicable rules. |
| Other Services | Resident | Optional additional services may have separate charges. |
We explain each fee in plain English and show you how they apply in your situation.
We’re here to help you make confident, well-informed decisions about aged care. Get in touch for a no-obligation chat.
After hours and home visits by request.
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The earlier, the better. Ideally, we recommend seeking financial advice before making decisions about entering Aged Care or accepting a place.
Moving into Aged Care can involve a number of steps, deadlines and important financial decisions. Some decisions need to be made within specific timeframes and can be difficult to change once they have been made.
After 20 years in the industry, we find that those who thrive in care have a plan long before they need to, and where possible have been as involved as possible.
Getting advice early can help you understand what needs to happen, when it needs to happen and how the different decisions may impact your Aged Care costs, Age Pension, investments and estate planning.
Not necessarily. Every situation is different.
Selling the family home is one option when funding Aged Care, but it is not always the best or only option available.
As part of the advice process, we explore the different options available to determine what may provide the best outcome when considering Aged Care fees, Age Pension entitlements, estate planning and other potential family or financial implications.
We also consider the needs of anyone who may remain living in the home, as this can have an important impact on the options available and the decisions that need to be made.
Our role is to help you understand the choices, consider the implications of each option and make an informed decision that is appropriate for your family’s circumstances.
Aged Care comes with a whole new language and plenty of acronyms to understand — one of the most common is RAD.
A RAD (Refundable Accommodation Deposit) is a lump sum payment that may be required to pay for your accommodation when entering residential Aged Care (in simple terms, ‘buying’ your room).
Despite the name, a RAD is generally refundable. When the resident leaves the Aged Care home, the remaining RAD balance is generally refunded to them or their estate, subject to any agreed deductions.
You may also have the option of paying for accommodation through a DAP (Daily Accommodation Payment) which is more like ‘renting’ the room, or a combination of the two.
Choosing how to pay for accommodation can have important implications for your cashflow, Age Pension, Aged Care fees, investments and estate planning. We can help you understand the terminology, explore your options and determine the approach that best suits your circumstances.
The means-tested care fee is an ongoing contribution some residents pay towards the cost of their care, on top of the basic daily fee. It is capped, so there is a limit on how much you can be asked to pay each year and over your lifetime.
At the time of writing (October 2026), the caps are $37,055.98 per year and $88,934.57 over a lifetime. The Government indexes these amounts every March and September.
The rules changed on 1 November 2025. People who were in residential Aged Care before then, or who had (or were approved for) a Home Care Package by 12 September 2024, generally stay on the means-tested care fee. Others usually pay a hotelling contribution and a non-clinical care contribution instead. The non-clinical care contribution is capped at $109.45 per day and stops after $140,652.80 in total (including Support at Home fees) or four years, whichever comes first.
Which rules apply to you, and how much you pay, depends on when you entered care and on your income and assets. We can walk you through the means assessment so you know what to expect before any decisions are made.
General information only, current at October 2026. Check My Aged Care for current rates.
Yes, entering Aged Care can affect your Age Pension entitlement.
Many of the same concepts that apply when assessing your Age Pension continue to apply, but how they apply to determining Age Pension eligibility and Age Care fees often in slightly different ways once you enter residential Aged Care.
Changes to your assets, investments, income and the family home (as well as who has helped care for you before entering care) can all affect both your Aged Care fees and Age Pension entitlement both on initial entry to care, as well as longer term eligibility.
This is why it is important to seek holistic financial advice as early as possible. By considering your Aged Care, Centrelink, cashflow, investment and estate planning needs together, we can explore strategies to help minimise Aged Care fees while maximising, or retaining, your Age Pension entitlements.
Yes. Helping you navigate Centrelink and DVA is an important part of our Aged Care service.
We can guide you through the Centrelink process, answer questions and make sure you have everything you need
You remain responsible for providing and confirming the information and disclosures required by Centrelink or DVA. However, where appropriate, we can assist you in navigating the application and notification processes, helping make what can be a complicated process simpler and less stressful.
Our aim is to work alongside you throughout the process, helping ensure your circumstances are properly considered and that you receive the entitlements you are eligible for.
We believe advice should be clear, transparent and fair.
For Aged Care advice, we typically work on a fixed fee basis, so you know what the advice will cost before we get started.
Every family’s circumstances are different, and the complexity of the advice can vary significantly. The fee will therefore depend on the scope and complexity of the work required.
Before we commence, we will clearly explain what is involved, what we recommend and what our advice will cost, so there are no surprises.
Yes. We can help you understand the financial side of Home Care Packages and the new Support at Home program.
While our role is primarily focused on the financial and strategic aspects, we can help you understand how care costs, contributions and government support may fit into your overall financial position.
We can also help you understand how receiving care at home may interact with your Age Pension, assets, cashflow and broader financial plan.
If you are considering care at home, we can work alongside your care provider and other professionals to help ensure the financial decisions are coordinated with your wider circumstances and goals.
