Requirements | Fees | Care Agreements

Admission Requirements

Cardwell Care Incorporated is a government subsidized aged care facility and in order to receive either permanent or respite care you must be eligible to receive care. To find out if you are eligible for Australian Government support for residential aged care, you will need to be assessed by an Aged Care Assessment Team (ACAT). Your doctor can usually help arrange for this assessment to be carried out.

Once you have been assessed by ACAT or whilst you are arranging for an assessment to be completed, you are able to apply for a place at an aged care facility pending the outcome of the assessment.

Cardwell Care can provide you with an “Application Pack” simply by contacting our office during business hours by telephone on 07 40668518, by facsimile on 07 4066 8805, or via email at admin@rockinghamhome.com.au

The application pack includes a “Request for Assets Assessment”. It is recommended that you complete this assessment and forward it to Centrelink or the Dept. of Veterans Affairs (DVA) as soon as possible. You will then be notified of your resident status and the net value of your assets for accommodation bond or accommodation charge purposes.

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In this section you will find a summary of the types of fees and charges you may have to pay. Further information on current costs is available from the Department of Health & Aging website www.health.gov.au or from an ACAT member.

While the Australian Government helps you with the cost of your residential aged care, by providing funding to aged care homes, it also expects those who can afford it to contribute to the cost.

Aged care homes may charge:

• Basic Daily Fee (approximately the equivalent of 84% of single adult aged pension)
  This fee is paid by all residents including respite residents
• Income tested fee
  This fee is calculated from the value of net assessed assets.
• Accommodation Bond
  This applies to Low Care residents and is based on net assessed assets.
• Accommodation Charge
  This applies to High Care residents and is based on net assessed assets.
• Remote area charge
  Residents in designated remote areas may be asked to pay an additional $1.06 per day (See section 4 of the Residential Care Manual).
  Understanding fees for aged care can be confusing so please contact the Manager at Cardwell Care to discuss the fees you may be asked pay in more detail.

The Department of Health and Aging index the fees on the 20th March and the 20th September each year and the latest rates sheet can be seen here “Fees”.

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In accordance with Commonwealth legislation (Aged Care Act 1997), When you enter aged care the facility will provide you with a “Residential Care Agreement” which will clearly set out and state the terms and conditions, including fees and charges. The agreement also includes the minimum level of care you can expect to receive as well as the charter of residents’ rights and responsibilities.

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