Frequently Asked Questions

The following questions and answers have been provided for your assistance as you consider the possibility of aged care for yourself or a loved one.

Who is eligible for residential aged care?
Everyone entering an aged care home in Australia must be assessed by an Aged Care Assessment Team (ACAT).

How do I get an Aged Care Assessment?
This can be done through your doctor or directly through ACAT.

What is the difference between high care and low care?
High care is for people that can no longer manage their daily activities and need assistance along with nursing care. Low care is for people who need services such as laundry, room cleaning and help with personal care but are still able to do many things for themselves.

How do I apply for a place at Braemar Presbyterian Care?
Please Register your Interest online or contact us to determine if there are places available at one of our facilities. We will provide you with an application form.

What happens after I accept an offer of placement?
Once you have accepted a place at Braemar Presbyterian Care, you are considered one of our residents and Braemar will be your new home. You and your family may arrange a visit before you move in to become familiar with your new surroundings. You have up to seven days to move into Braemar once you have agreed to accept the placement.

How much is it going to cost me to move into a residential aged care facility?
The Australian Government helps with the cost of residential aged care by providing funding to aged care homes. The Government also expects people who can afford aged care to contribute to the cost of their own care.

You will need a Financial Assessment from Centrelink or Veterans Affairs to determine the amount of Bond or Daily Accommodation Charges to be paid. Visit our Resources page to find links to these sites.

What kind of fees are charged for residential aged care?
The costs associated with moving into subsidised residential aged care fall into three categories:

Daily Care Fee
Set against the prevailing pension rate as determined by the Commonwealth Government along with the amount of subsidy determined by the Aged Care Funding Instrument (ACFI).
Income Tested Fee
Centrelink conducts means testing of the resident’s income from other assets to determine whether income fees are required.
Accommodation Payments
If you are moving into a low care service, you may be required to pay an Accommodation Bond based on your determined asset value.

If you are moving into a high care service, you may be required to pay a Daily Accommodation Charge determined by your Centrelink asset value.

What is an Accommodation Bond?
An Accommodation Bond is essentially an interest-free loan to the aged care home. Under the current legislation, it must be used to make improvements to buildings or other capital works.

What is an Accommodation Charge?
Depending on your financial assessment, residents in high care may be asked to pay an Accommodation Charge. This is a daily charge paid in addition to the basic daily care fee and any income-tested fee.

What are daily fees?
Daily fees are applied to living costs such as nursing and personal care, meals and laundry among others. There are two parts to the daily fee:

Basic daily care fee
Additional income-tested fee for residents with a higher income

What is accreditation and why is it important?
Accreditation is a rigorous external evaluation process conducted at 3-year intervals. All aged care facilities must be accredited in order to be considered an approved provider under the Aged Care Act of 1997. All of Braemar Presbyterian Care’s facilities are fully accredited.

What is respite care?
Respite care is a way to give carers, family, friends and the resident a break when needed. Designed as short-term care for people that need extra assistance before the return to their own community, respite care can be used in emergencies or on a planned basis. If your carer becomes ill, takes a holiday or is absent for any reason, respite care is available to fill the gap.